


Hunters Can love?

by freakishly_cute



Category: Vampire Knight
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Jealousy, Kiryuu Ichiru (memories only), M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Violence, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Strong language (mostly Kaito), Takamiya Taito (memories only)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 17:51:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 28,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5752633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freakishly_cute/pseuds/freakishly_cute
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaito hates vampires but still wants to help Zero, will his care/fondness for Zero turn into something more?</p><p>AU-ish. Mostly the same, but reasons for certain events change, and timeline of events somewhat changed to fit the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Anticipation

**Author's Note:**

> Words in "italics" are memories

_ “You’re too weak, give up already” Kaito muttered as he stepped over Ichiru, simultaneously snatching the gun from his hand in the process. “You shouldn’t be out here anyways, aren’t you just going to get sick again?” He scoffed and ignored Ichiru’s groan of pain to focus on his target. Ichiru had the tendency to just lie down helplessly after a failed attempt during hunter practice. The boy would sulk for hours claiming his inability to succeed in training was due to his weak immune system. Kaito’s disgruntled expression made it easy to read the only thought replaying in his head: ‘If he was just going to waste time and rely on excuses, he might as well just leave.’ _

_ While the younger had failed to make up for the recoil of the gunshot, the older effortlessly laid three shots, perfectly hitting the center each and every time. He smirked to himself in satisfaction, feeling grateful for the skills his previous teacher had helped him hone. His celebration was short lived though, as he turned around to witness Zero gently picking his brother up and hugging him tightly. They were always like this together. One too weak to do anything, the other too soft for his own good; they were hopeless. _

_ “It’s alright Ichiru, target practice is hard,” Zero consoled, “Are you alright? Are you bleeding?” He began to check each and every body part that wasn’t protected by his clothes, “Don’t listen to Kaito, everyone just learns at their own pace,” He fixed Ichiru’s hair so the wild strands that stuck out from his head were gently placed back in their original form, “Can you walk?”  _

_ ‘Of course it would be like this,’ Kaito thought, it was always the same between the two, Zero having to be overly concerned for his brother that it got in the way of his training; it was a miserable scene. They should stop caring about themselves and their little problems and focus on training for once. _

_ “No I’m fine Zero, just a little tired, I know if you would have tried you would have gotten it right on the bullzeye. You would have been strong enough to take the recoil, not like me, I have no idea what that feels like, but go on don’t worry about me, keep training brother...” _

_ Zero truly must be blinded by his love for his brother to not hear the slight contempt trailing in his twins words. The more than blatant provoking was just itching to see his brother actually go back and continue to practice so he could monopolize on his guilt later was just oozing. He must be blinded by his complete adoration not to notice the obvious disdain lingering in every interaction Ichiru shared with Zero. Zero on the other hand, played perfectly into his hand, sitting out with him for the rest of training promising he would never leave his side.  _

_ But even as he rolled his eyes and turned his back to that image, he couldn’t help detect a subtle tug from a place he thought he mastered pushing down. It was practically trivial and he honestly prefered not being the co-dependent mess that those twins were, yet his factual and reasonable mind was finding it quite hard to maintain control when there was an emptiness he failed to understand the origins of and was afraid to identify the source. _

_____________________________________________

 

“So, Zero is a vampire now,” he repeated to himself, remembering the information Yagari informed him early on before coming to Cross Academy. It wasn’t like he hadn’t known, there was speculation from other hunters of a vampire in the midst of HA. Hunters weren’t much for rumors, but get them drunk enough at a bar and anything that ever crossed their ears was suddenly up for grabs as a good conversation starter. He’d been around enough hunters to know that as much as the men protested they didn’t gossip, he heard the most recent “news” from his male companions more than he did with female hunters. Nonetheless, speculation that a vampire was also a hunter had everyone on edge. Kaito couldn’t lie that the information hadn’t upset him either. He hated Vampires. No hate, wasn’t a strong enough word. He loathed them, he detested their presence, to him there was no point in keeping something alive that couldn’t even control itself, “You know I’ll have to kill him at the first sign of his vampire self taking over.” His head tilted, finding the scenery outside the car window more relaxing than the thought of a blood sucker’s hungry blood red animalistic eyes.

Yagari let out a small dry chuckle as they were still a few minutes away from Cross Academy, “I know Kaito.”

As tree after tree passed, becoming a never ending blur of green, his wandering mind, rec alled memories of him, Zero and Ichiru. He never did understand Zero’s motivation behind taking  care of his brother. None of it made logical sense since it meant reducing his own already limited training time to practically non-existent, but he supposed he could at least admire his dedication if he really thought about it. 

It only made it that much worse to think about how short Ichiru’s life had really been, only a teenager. Shocked when Kaito first heard the news that Ichiru survived the Shizuka attack he pressed Yagari for more details, but he wouldn’t explain why Ichiru attended Cross Academy or returned after so many years. Kaito had a suspicion though that there was more to the Shizuka story than he had originally thought. 

He wondered if the pair of twins ever changed their ways or if Ichiru had continued his hunter training even after all those years he vanished. Maybe his illness had bettered since he last saw him. There were so many unanswered questions he would never know the solutions to when it came to Ichiru. The bitter knowledge that he was informed of Ichiru’s life only after he died left a familiar sour taste in his mouth of an intimate story he himself had grown up with. 

That was probably why he took on a case meant for two hunters all by himself after Yagari informed him. Hating vampires, he was an expert. It’s something tangible, unlike the thoughts wrangled in his mind. He knew hate, he could rely on hate whenever he needed it, it’s dependable whenever situations like these seemed to beg for other emotions to creep past the blockade Kaito nailed to in the front of his mind. 

He wondered if  hate came just as easy for Zero too. It was probably easier to hate the monster who made his brother die in his arms. Easier to hate them than think you played any part in it. Kaito could at least understand that feeling. 

He hadn’t kept tabs on Zero during those seven years he was gone, but that didn’t mean he forgot about him, about all of it. But seven years is plenty of time for people to change, and Zero had definitely changed, now becoming what he hated most. 

“Tch, Damn idiot, too damn soft for his own good.”

___________________________________

They finally arrived and had just barely stepped out of the car when they were suddenly bombarded with hugs from Cross.

“Yagari! Kaito! It’s been so long! I can’t believe it's Kaito! You used to be so short, now look at you! Yagari would always tell me stories of you when you were little. I believe you had a problem with wetting the bed, I hope you still don’t have that now!" He let out a big laugh before switching to a face of concern, "Oh My, but if you do, that’s okay. I didn’t mean to offend you, that just means some extra washing, which isn’t a big problem! It's always great to have clean clothes!”

Kaito pushed the man off immediately, dodging his second attempt at a hug and passing him off to Yagari. He still had trouble believing this man who was speaking about bed wetting was the legendary hunter. Not to mention the fact that he had no idea what the old man was blabbering about, or why Yagari would tell him that. He had never wet the bed when he lived with Yagari. The only time he could think of that remotely resembles him pissing his pants was when he was out in the rain when he shouldn’t have been. He  crawled back in bed before Yagari realized he was out but his wet clothes soaked the bed so when Yagari came to check on him, he probably assumed Kaito pissed myself.

“Get the hell off Cross before I kill you,” Yagari yelled as he pried Cross’ arms off of him. For an ex-hunter he still had an enormous strength. Kaito smirked as he saw Yagari scold Cross and earn a friendly hit from him, as he was still slightly annoyed by Cross’ comment and abrupt hug.

“Cross, are you going to give me a tour of the place or is this a new system where newly hired faculty roam the place lost?” Kaito inquired sarcastically, already annoyed by Cross’ attitude.

“Oh that’s right! I’m just so excited about you being here” He laughed, “and I know Zero will be happy to see you too!”

At the mention of his name, Kaito’s face became tense. Remembering the past, also meant remembering the way he treated both Kiryus. After recently finding out about Ichiru’s death, he wasn’t quite sure how Zero would take to seeing him again. It didn’t matter though, Kaito had a job to accomplish and he would have to do it either way.   

Yagari interrupted his train of thought , “Do you remember after training when I drove Ichiru and Zero home?”  He let out a small chuckle, “He would mention you. He would say ‘Kaito thinks I can’t do this, but I’ll show him, I know he just says it so I can become stronger.’ He loved you both you know.”

As they continued their tour, Cross mentioned a few names of the buildings every so often through their conversation. After a little while though, Cross informed Kaito that he and Yagari needed to discuss a few HA council issues for a little bit and that they would be in his office if he needed anything. Kaito nodded and they left in one direction while he went the other way. Figuring it was about lunchtime he found an area where less students seemed to be. 

He noticed a spot that looked like a stable and realized that Cross didn’t show him this part of the school. He walked in examining the few horses that occupied the area. The brown and grey colors paled in comparison to the strikingly beautiful, but very restless regal white so he decided to stay away and moved towards the other ones. As he was petting one of them, he freezed, a breeze flowed through the stable, carrying a slight vampire smell with it. He heard footsteps approaching and his breath quickened. He quickly reached for his Corpse Dagger hidden underneath his coat, ready to attack and kill if need be. The footsteps came closer as he griped his Corpse Dagger tightly in his hand, anticipating the vampire to lunge and attack the second their eyes met his.

Tensing his muscles further, he deduced that this vampire was clearly out to feed since they weren’t supposed to be out during the day. The vampire stepped inside and--

Wait.

That’s just not a vampire.

It’s Zero.


	2. Two Hunters Meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words in "Italics" are memories

It was about a week ago when Cross told Zero that another hunter was going to be on campus as a teacher. Zero already didn’t like where this was going, and his suspicions were correct when Cross informed him that the hunter would be working with him occasionally on hunts. “Great”, Zero thought sarcastically, “ I get a babysitter.”

He couldn’t say he was surprised, the Hunter Association had already forced him to begin hunting trips before the appropriate age in order to test his allegiance. He supposed this would be their next step, didn’t stop It from being insulting though. Wasn’t his childhood or recent events at Cross Academy proof enough?

It was only when he calmed down did he reevaluate the situation with a clear mind. The more he thought about it, the more he thought about his... particular predicament. Blood lust, something he handled much better since his body no longer rejected the blood tablets, was probably what had the association and other hunters for that matter most concerned. He knew how to control it, especially since he wasn’t even living on campus anymore. He had his own apartment, courtesy of Cross, where he could escape to if he needed it; plus there was always the stables.

But he couldn’t deny how incredibly hard it was during the summer to acquire this somewhat sustained bloodlust. The burning of his throat, the twisted knots in his stomach, the barely open windpipe, it was a sensation he knew all too well and one that only reminded him of the broken pieces of himself that he was left alone to sort out and put back. She had left...with him. When he thought of her, he felt like he was mourning for someone who passed away. She left around the same time his brother died,  two pains he couldn’t separate, two events that were just too closely intermingled for him to decipher one loss from the other.  

He never did have productive coping methods, learning his own way about how to deal with suffering. That summer was no different, he longed to speak to someone, to speak to her if he could. Just be in her presence. But he knew no matter how much he craved it, it was better he hadn’t, days were he felt more vampiric than ever, knowing who his blood was calling out for, completely enraged him. It was days like that, where his bloodlust disgusted him and he felt like he wasn’t searching for her, but hunting her instead. It was day like those those, that he understood why another hunter near him was necessary, in case he went rogue and couldn’t handle his blood lust anymore.

He pushed the thoughts aside, knowing they were of no help, especially Cross’ whimpers of _“_ Come give Daddy a hug!” After so many years of Zero never displaying an ounce of skinship with Cross, it served him right when Cross lunged and missed, completely splattered across the floor giving a more than dramatic fake cry. Zero shuddered, sometimes that man had no boundaries whatsoever, but he cared about him, so Zero would stand it.  

 

_____________________________________

 

The growing voices all around him was a good indicator as any that students were no longer in class, ready to forget what they learned that period in favor of eating. Crowds brushed past him, making sure to never bump into the notoriously grumpy silver haired prefect. Bodies faded into blurry shapes and voices faded into buzzing white noise as the feeling of being back on school grounds was almost surreal. He had no one to smile to anymore, no one at school to ask how classes were going or be angry at him for sleeping during a lecture. Yuki was the only friend he ever made at school, and now that she was gone, he hardly ever found any use for the vocabulary he had acquired over the years. Yori was Yuki’s friend, they had never talked unless it was to ask where Yuki had gone, but other than that she stayed away from him like everyone else. He told himself he didn’t mind it though, he enjoyed his solitude, as he very much had even when Yuki was there, finding the tranquility of the stables more favorable. Lately that had just become his immediate place of escape during swarming crowds of lunch.

Zero was a few feet away from the stables when a different scent swirled around his nostrils, causing him to scrunch his nose a little by the sudden surprise. It was another hunter. Probably his new partner or “baby sitter” as Zero called it. He wondered what type of person the new hunter would be. He couldn’t remember if Cross said that the new hunter was a woman, man, or if they wanted be identified in that way at all. He had given him such little details since the message came from Yagari and he had been out on a hunt at the time. He probably should prepare for anything nonetheless, he hadn’t run into many hunters yet, but the ones he did have the unlucky chance of meeting, made it obvious that his presence was not appreciated. He could sense the other’s antagonistic motives, all pointed towards him, and knew that already this was going to be difficult. He slowed his pace down, making sure to appear as non-threatening as possible but still ready to fight if need be. As he turned in, a shine that glimmered off of an object in the sunlight caught his eye. Zero spotted the weapon first, a long slender blade with brass knuckles connected on the handle. He knew what that was, the Corpse Dagger. and He knew who came without even having to look at his face.  

____________________________

_“Hey don’t touch my stuff” Kaito yelled at the little Kiryu brothers who spotted his anti-vampire weapon placed on the counter and made their first weak attempt at reaching for it. He had been waiting for Yagari to comeback with extra weapons to practice combat and pulled out his Corpse Dagger from its safe sleeping area underneath his coat and placed it across from him on the wooden table top. He’d lost track of how long they’d been waiting already, it was probably around thirty minutes, but he stopped counting after ten, knowing Yagari always ran on his own time. “I said don’t touch my stuff” he snapped at the duo once more, ripping his Corpse Dagger from their small delicate hands. Their tiny angelic fingers held the blade with such grace and care that he almost felt bad for snatching the Corpse Dagger, barely missing their fingers from being sliced. But to his astonishment their fingers had already retracted back to the safety of their sides as if they already expected Kaito’s hot temper to lack any empathy._

_“We just wanted to look at it, it’s not like we would have broken it” Ichiru’s voice fraile and quavering even to his own ears. He buried himself in the shoulder of his older twin, voice even softer than before, “we know how important it is to you.”_

_The two brothers brought back an image that was still too fresh for him to ignore completely. He thought he learned how to overcome these useless emotions, no longer feeling anything since his parents “suggested” that he leave the house. He’d been more or less living with his previous hunting teacher for a few months before Yagari took him in._

_Kaito thought he knew how to hardly care too, but apparently he still had some ways to go. Kaito was helpless to the pouring of memories and emotions that wished to slip out. Nothing was ever simple in his household, and his relationship with his brother was no different. Taito was only in the house long enough in the mornings to make Kaito a quick breakfast, and then he was gone. Any Long conversations he ever had with Taito he could count on his hands._

_“Corpse dagger, we are sorry we got in between you and your owner,” Zero began to speak, “ we never meant to hurt you, we just believe that when you're in Kaito’s hands your skill is at its fullest. We just admire you, that’s all, but we won’t do it again. Sorry,” Zero ended his beautiful apology with with such sincerity he wasn’t sure whether to feel pity or laugh hysterically. He did neither scoffing instead, relieved that he was still able to keep his emotions at bay and moving to the other end of the room. He turned to face the door that Yagari would enter through, hopefully soon._

_________________________________

 

He hadn’t expected Kaito of all people to be the one waiting for him. Why would he? That man was like a phantom, appearing and disappearing in and out of his life without reason. He never knew of that man staying in one place for too long, the fact that he started running away from his home at age twelve as any indication. And yet, here he was once more, just as mysterious and unapproachable as before, while memories of words shared between each other in the past slipped into his thoughts. He wouldn’t linger on those words though, too far in the past to count for anything.

Instead he focused on Kaito, who didn’t move the Corpse dagger down. His fingers were held so tight around the brass handle that his knuckles turned white and the brass under his fingers matched the same temperature as his overwhelming body heat.

Zero could sense the cool killer aura that radiated off the older hunter. He couldn’t say he expected much of a welcome from him, but had to admit, Kaito sure knew how to make an unforgettable first impression. Having the Corpse Dagger aimed at him, was as much reassuring as it was threatening, because one thing he knew for certain about Kaito, was that he never missed his target. Zero measured his slow and careful steps as he moved towards White Lily, completely dismissing that fact that a hunter still had his deadly weapon aimed towards him. His right arm reached out for White Lily’s forehead while his left gently reached for the apple he had prepared for her.  

“Are you going to hold that out all day?” Zero sternly spoke.

“Depends”

“Well, I’m not craving blood, and as you can see I’m feeding White Lily.” After a long pause his gruff voice filled the space in between the two, “So you’re my new baby sitter.”

Zero let out a dry chuckle. If he was going to have a babysitter, it might as be Kaito. Other than Yuki and Ichiru, Kaito was the closest thing to a childhood friend he could think of. They knew each other’s weaknesses while hunting which made it perfect for hunts. Zero’s Bloody Rose was good for far away attacks, while Kaito’s corpse dagger was great for close-range attacks, but most importantly, Kaito might have been one of the only people he could somewhat understand what he was going through right now. Kaito lost his brother, was thrown out by his family and later had to kill his brother who turned into a Level E. If anyone could kill Zero if he did go rogue it would be Kaito. For some reason, that thought was alarmingly comforting him. Maybe having a hunting partner wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be after all.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave Kaito a corpse dagger as his anti-vampire weapon because they never said what his weapon was in the manga (at least I don't remember they did) haha! I plan to go in a little more detail about his weapon soon! Constructive criticism welcome!! :D


	3. You Remind Me of Someone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words in "Italics" are memories. Also this one is a long chapter compared to others...

Kaito hadn’t spoken a word to Zero after their first encounter in the stables. He was busy getting acquainted into his new office, his classroom, organizing his planner and printing multiple copies of syllabi for his students. He never thought of himself as the teaching type, and an ethics one at that. After highschool, he was able to attend a University and had been able to finish his undergraduate program two years early due to courses he took in high-school that had college credits. He had just finished attaining his masters degree when he accepted this teaching job, an idea completely foreign to him, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t done odd jobs for the Hunter Association before. 

But he really hadn’t remembered just how troubling teenagers could be, or how hormonal they were around this age. He couldn’t say though that he disliked the obvious attention from the high school girls though. Freshman girls always became flustered around him, did all their homework and participated in class to give a good image, while senior girls who were already eighteen found more seductive ways to gain the handsome teacher's attention. Many pretended that they didn’t understand the material in order to have an excuse to come during his office hours, one girl in specific even asked for “private tutoring” during the night in her dorm room. As pretty as she was, and as much as he had contemplated it, he chose against it. It wasn’t like him to mix fun with business, he learned that the hard way after sleeping with another hunter, things became unnecessarily complicated, so he stuck to only sleeping with passerby's or waitresses at bars, it kept things simple. And if he ever forgot his own rule, Toga and Cross would probably attempt to murder him for fooling around with a student, so really he had nothing to worry about. 

At least that’s what he told himself, he had nothing to worry about, but flashes of silver hair and cold violet eyes passed through his mind suggested different. The last time he ever saw the kid he was scrawny and goofy looking, with the widest smile plastered onto his face and an overwhelming concern in his eyes for his brother. Seven years later and everything that could be called soft had hardened, his features sharpened considerably, and so did his personality. There was no use denying it, the boy had grown up to be a handsome and deadly hunter, any hesitation Zero had before about killing vampires completely non-existent. The image of a dangerous young deadly hunter, was ultimately very attractive and had Kaito quite surprised at how much that actually affected him, even if it was just the slightest and hardly non-existent extra inhale of air that could be confused as a hesitant gasp when they met eye to eye in the stables the other day. Nothing affected him nowadays, at least nothing besides whom he spent no more than a few hours of a “good time” with. He ignored whatever miniscule pull that had him lingering on the younger hunter and focused at his job at hand. He had to be a teacher and watch over Zero, nothing more, nothing less. Attraction, conversation, being friendly, all of that was extra and unnecessary when dealing with a blood sucking vampire. 

He was ready to attack at any moment and kill that bloodsucking vampire in a heartbeat. He would have been more than ready to end their encounter the other day like that, but fate had other plans in mind and they instead had a small conversation before departing their separate ways.  

 

______________________________

 

“Hmph, I’m surprised you didn’t piss yourself when you caught a glimpse of my Corpse Dagger,” Kaito smirked. He flashed his anti-vampire weapon once more before removing his fingers out of the brass knuckle handle and slipping it back in the inner pocket of his leather jacket. Hunter senses could not only sense a vampire, but also when one was ravenous and bloodthirsty or extremely dangerous and ready to attack. Zero was neither at the moment, seeing that Zero was still petting the white horse and any levels of danger that he had before had dissipated. Zero was calm enough that he wasn’t going to attack, but he still didn’t move any closer to him, “I mean a vampire is never to be trusted after all,” he thought. He learned that lesson very well when he had to kill his own brother who turned into a level E, who he had previously thought was just dead. 

Kaito’s shoulders tensed and jaw clenched, he didn’t need this. He didn’t need thoughts he had prevented from ever surfacing again to be brought up, even for just a second, yet since he had agreed to this job, that was all that kept happening lately. He tried to forcefully pull his thoughts away from his brother to the present, tried to focus on hatred,  tried to focus on pulling his dagger out once more, but why? There was nothing threatening him at the moment, his usual stone cold and unbreakable wall he held in place, shook from a light vibration for just a second. That second though, was enough for his own mind to travel through his memories until they brought him back to that night. 

________________________________

 

_ It was during one of those many nights where Kaito would sneak out and just walk pointlessly nowhere, it was really nothing new for him, seeing as he had started leaving at odd hours of the day since he was twelve. As he grew a little older, he began looking very mature for his age and so with some money he had and some flirting with the front desk, he could afford to stay in a hotel for a night or two when he needed. Since his brother’s recent death, he had practically become a regular with many of the places knowing him enough that they would sometimes let him sleep for free. _

_ Yagari hated it, but Kaito could care less. He hardly thought of Yagari’s place as home, only having moved in with him a couple months ago since his previous teacher had been badly injured during one of his hunts. His teacher realized that he wouldn’t just stay put at home, so he offered the care of another respected hunter he was close with.  _

_ Kaito had only visited his teacher once since the injury. He knew he probably should have gone when his teacher was awake but he also knew he had no right to. His teacher would have never even been injured in the first place if it weren’t for him. He should have been practicing him with him that day, not at home right when his mom and dad came home, not when the small comments here and there began all over again. Nothing was ever really loud in that house, people barely spoke at all, but disappointment and disdain didn’t necessarily need that many words to be understood. He remembered the argument too clearly, it was why he skipped training that day, left to the other part of the city, and with no one to train, his teacher took on a job. When Kaito came back he was informed that his teacher was in the hospital. His mind went blank, it happened again, things like this just seemed to happen all around him all the time, probably because of him.         _

_ His nightmares hadn’t stopped. He woke up in a cold sweat, still with the remnants of lingering emotions that hadn’t fully faded and were potent enough to taste, guilt and scorn being the main ones overriding most his senses at the moment. It all repeated in his head like a terribly written movie where the characters seemed too stiff and scenes out of place. He swiped the corner of his head, wiping off the sweat from his brow and lept from his bed, throwing off the sheets and haphazardly pulling on a pair of sweats and t-shirt. He knew he had some money left in the pocket of jacket which he might end up needing so he reached for his jacket while opening the window, feeling the brisk cold wind hit his cheeks. His body was almost all the way out the window when he hesitantly reached for his Corpse Dagger that his previous teacher had given him. After Taito died and his body wasn’t found, this was the only object that was left there. His teacher handed it to him as Kaito cried on the ground, holding tightly the last thing Taito had with him.  _

_ He brushed away feelings of sentimental attachment that his mind was trying to create from his memories, and gave his dagger one last glance before stuffing it into his jacket and jumping out of the bedroom window. The wind felt nice floating through his slightly wet hair, evidence that his nightmare had caused him enough physical distress to sweat in fear. He didn’t want to linger on these thoughts, but he found that the more he tried to force them down, the more they found a way to push back up. As if he could physically fight the tears that wanted to roll down his cheeks, he began to sprint in the direction of the “bad side” of the neighborhood, where many went to get high and buy a quick fix. He’d been there before, they had cheaper motels, and were usually way more relaxed about minors coming though. At one point he thought that maybe he should have rested, stay a night in a motel, but he decided against it, too worked up to slow down now.  _

_ He didn’t realize where he was going, but he didn’t care, it didn’t matter as long as he felt his feet pushing one in front of the other. They led him to one of the run down buildings on the corner, one which he’d seen many times before but never gone inside seeing that it was always surrounded by people. Now though, no one seemed to be around so he entered through the place where there should have been a door and walked past the broken glass to search the rest of the place. At first he thought he was alone but after a few minutes he heard noises coming from upstairs and since Kaito had nothing better to do at the moment, he thought it would be best to investigate. He marched up the creaky steps, which astonishingly hadn’t stopped the rustling from upstairs, which he guessed who ever they were must have been pretty into what ever activity they were doing not to bother with him. Assuming that someone was getting high, something he would see many times near the crummy motels that he would stay in, he kept going foward, thinking it was better to talk to even someone that was high right now than be alone with his thoughts.  _

_ It must have been his head that had his senses confused, the memories of dull arguments he had with his family that threw him off, because he sensed something familiar. He had to have been wrong, had to have been because there was a non-human quality to it, but even so he quieted his breathing and slowly pushed the door open enough to get a sliver of a glance at the objects in the other room. Peering through the door that was slightly ajar, his muscles failed to respond in any movement as he felt himself go cold. As if his body had shut down, the small quiet breaths had immediately halted and his eyes widened, almost like he could swallow the image whole. As if his mind could understand the wider his eyes became, but his brain could not compute what he saw before him. A Level-E vampire was feeding off of a woman, tugging and ripping at her neck with its spear like teeth. Her tan skin and dark hair became a dirty gray and skin pale as a cadaver. The scene felt much too familiar, much too similar, he wanted to leave but his body wouldn’t listen. With painstaking effort he forced his limbs to move closer to the stairs but upon reaching them, the floorboards squeaked, and the vampire’s attention moved from the lifeless body and turned to him. The Level- E vampire dumped the cold dead body on the ground and began to lunge towards the door. The images still clung close to the surface, the fear of events repeating once more still grasped his very mind, but Kaito moved. Still too slowly as the vampire caught up to him, but he moved. He could do this, he could hunt if needed too. He grasped his Corpse Dagger from his coat as the vampire leaped onto Kaito, but the young boy was able to throw him off. Again, the familiar scent, but this time so much more potent, so much more like home. And that’s when he noticed it, that’s when he met face to face with the vampire that wanted to feed from him.  _

_ Taito was alive.  _

_ Kaito could not process the events that were unrolling before him. It was like he wasn’t the one fighting the vampire that lunged for his neck, but rather a spectator, watching from the sidelines, witnessing a young boy desperately fight a losing battle. He could watch from here how the young one actively tried to not stab any crucial points of the vampire. He could see that the boy was tired from lack of sleep and running all night that his moves were sluggish. He could safely watch from here how the vampire slammed the boy into the wall and how he fought for a few minutes but against  hunter instincts pleading him to fight, something else in the boy’s body begged him to stop and let it happen.        _

_ Then like a dream, he was zapped back into his body, waking up to the reality before him. But what he waited for never came, instead he heard words that chilled his very bones, “Kill me....”  He opened his eyes only to peer into Taito’s crying ones. He could hardly bare looking into those eyes full of immense pain, the burden of being a vampire too much for him. Taito slowly let his grip loosen against his shoulder, letting his hand slide until he grabbed Kaito’s, that held the dagger in it. Taito brought it towards his chest those eyes never leaving him. Kaito stood there, dagger pointed towards his brother while the vampire lunged from him once more stabbing himself in the process. Those eyes that cried from being relieved of his own existence reflected a small image of scared little boy looking back.  _

_ It wasn’t until Kaito was all alone again that he realized he had been crying the whole entire time. His knees fell hard against the floor creating a small wind that shifted the pile of dust in front of him. He reached for it but as if the sand could burn his fingers, he retracted them immediately. This was his doing, this was all his fault, everything. From the day they went on his first hunt with him to all those months Taito was alone, losing his sanity to the sickening call of a need for blood. He cried feeling more helplessly alone than ever, nothing to stare at but the abandoned pile of sand that lie there unforgivingly. He showed up early next morning at Yagari’s ready to train, to hunt, to kill every single one of those blood sucking vampires. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaito has a lot of feels that he never shows! Trying to give him more back story and development, I hope it's working. And are these chapters too short? Thank you! constructive criticism welcome!! :D


	4. Thunder Reminds Me of Someone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words in "italics" are memories

It was the beginning of the week and Zero should have been in class right now, if it weren’t for the fact that after his encounter with Kaito in the stables, he left in the night to hunt a herd of Level E’s that the hunter’s association ordered him to kill. Cross suggested that he take Kaito, but he assured Cross that he could handle it himself. Anyways he didn’t need Kaito commenting on his excessive amount of vampire hunts in order to repress his blood lust. Even though he could take the blood tablets now, his body still craved Yuki. He had searched for her the whole summer trying to find out where she went, but that pureblood took her and hid her. He didn’t even know what he would do when he found them, I mean she was a pureblood now. But he still wanted to see her smile, he wanted her to tell him everything would be alright, he wanted to hear her laugh once more.

But she was nowhere to be found. She had chosen who she wanted to be with and left with him. Kuran only had Zero near Yuki long enough to serve his purpose and then toss him aside like trash or a stray dog, completely unimportant and useless now. All Zero could do now from breaking was to focus on his hunts.  

He had left on Friday and it was now Monday, finally heading back to Cross academy by train. It was dark by the time he boarded, since during his hunt with the pack of  twelve Level E’s, a few escaped, leaving him to track them across several cities and several days. He put his bloody rose back inside his coat, as he was no longer craving blood after shooting so many level E’s. He found that the train was mostly empty and quiet, perfect for a much needed nap. He picked a seat by the window staring out at the gloomy clouds covering the sun. The train still hadn’t departed yet when it began to rain and thunder; Zero didn’t mind it at all though. The sound of rain hitting against his window was almost hypnotic and peaceful as he slowly started to drift into sleep. Even though he was tired, empty, and heartbroken, the thunder felt like an old comforting friend drowning out his sounds of pain with its noise. He didn’t always feel like that about thunder though, he remembered at one point that he used to be really frightened of thunderstorms. He tried to remember what it was that had made him fearless of them, but his eyelids felt too heavy to keep his eyes open. And as he was closing his eyes, ready to dream, he recalled who it was that helped him get over his fear... Kaito....

________________________________

 

_“Where the fuck is Ichiru,” Kaito duly questioned Zero, only half interested in Zero’s reply._

_“He’s sick, so he stayed home today. He might not come for practice tomorrow either.” Zero answered sadly, thinking of his brother lying in bed, wishing he could be next to him. He begged his parents to let him stay, but they told him that Ichiru would be fine on his own, and it would be best if he trained with Yagari._

_“Hmpf, figures” Kaito replied dismissively._

_Zero was right about to retaliate and yell at Kaito for being so insensitive, which would most likely cause him to get his butt kicked, when a flash of light interrupted his train of thought, followed by a deafening sound of thunder. Zero jumped and shivered, he had always been scared of thunder but would try to hide his fear when he was with Ichiru. Luckily they both slept together during thunderstorms so he never felt too scared, since someone was always next to him, but now they were separated. He wanted to be near his brother, but his thought process was interrupted again with a loud crash of thunder that caused him to run across the room and cling onto Kaito._

_“What the hell? Get the hell off me Zero!” But he clung tighter as the flashes of light and rumbles of thunder continued. Kaito tried to push him off but the little boy was strangely strong holding on so tightly to his coat. “Don’t crap yourself near me, move already” Kaito yelled at the little boy. But Zero, who had his head buried deep in Kaito’s chest, starred up at him with tears in his eyes. “Tch, well, don’t cry about it” he said as he pulled out a handkerchief for Zero to use. Zero took it and wiped his nose and a tear that tried to leave his eyes. “Thunder is nothing to be afraid of you idiot. Come on.” He got up and zero followed holding tightly to his coat, afraid that Kaito was just trying to leave. Kaito opened the door and walked out. The thunder became even louder once they stepped out._

_“Rain and thunder, it’s so much bigger than yourself Zero. You can forget about your problems and let yourself go in the rain and let the thunder consume everything else. Taito and I would run in the rain sometimes too.” He smiled fondly at the mention of his name. All of a sudden Zero felt a hand grasp his and pull him forward. “Come on Zero!”_  

_They started running at a marvelous speed, Zero having trouble catching up, didn’t mind the rain at all, it felt nice and cold on his skin as he was heating up from the adrenaline. He smiled so brightly, he hadn't just ran for no reason in so long. He began to laugh, screaming and yelling shouts of joy as he looked up at the older boy who had a faint smile across his face. Zero threw his free hand in the air cheering on each other, even though he could barely hear himself over the thunder. But he decided that the thunder was cheering them on for him. His heart was beating so fast as his small hand pressed against the older boy’s palm, it was a moment he never wanted to forget._

_They finally stopped and caught their breath. Zero looked at Kaito and how utterly drenched he was; he probably looked the same way. But as Kaito tilted his head upward and threw his head slightly back causing his hair to flip and make water droplets fly off; his skin, and hair glistened in the moonlight. Zero, stared at him in astonishment, he never realized how beautiful Kaito looked, he looked liked a prince._

__________________________

 

By the time Zero got back to his apartment, it was three am. The thunderstorm had subsided so he decided to go on and brush his teeth. If it weren’t for his rapid ability to heal, he would have looked like a victim in a scary movie, completely sliced and bruised. He was terribly tired though, and his body still had random aches here and there. He thought about just skipping class tomorrow too, but missing more class would just affect his grades. Even with his bad habits of not attending class, or falling sleep, he had managed to keep exceptional grades, having mostly A’s. He got under his covers, deciding that he would go, but just fall asleep in class. “That shouldn’t be much of a problem right?” he thought to himself, “I mean I know they finally found a permanent teacher for my ethics class, but he or she really shouldn’t give me too much trouble.” How bad could the new teacher be? He was the only person he knew who had as sour of a personality as his, except for maybe Yagari and Kaito, but since they weren’t his teacher it would be fine; or so he thought.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I couldn't pass up a cute moment in the rain with these two <3\. Zero still has feelings for Yuki but at least Zero and Kaito are finally going to see each other in class! And Yagari was out getting their practice weapons while they were inside talking! yay!!! Constructive criticism welcome! :D


	5. Teacher Takamiya

Before class even started Kaito was near his teacher’s desk speaking to a few students. It had been only girls surrounding him at first, but when he hinted that he liked girls and guys all the same, some of the boys started to surround his desk too. 

He found this was more than true when it came to his senior students, so many were shameless, making it no secret that they were hitting on him. All of sudden girls’ uniforms became shorter and more exposed, with jackets left behind and buttons strategically left unbuttoned. All of a sudden he found the boys standing in flexed positions so the muscles could easily be seen through their white long-sleeve collared shirts. Kaito, being Kaito, couldn’t help but indulge their flirtatious antics, often responding in innuendos, devious smirks and seductive eye stares. The fact that he had a temper, and wasn’t afraid to show it during class, didn’t frighten them, in fact it egged them on. The response from the other teachers were no different, as he had already been hit on by two teachers one from the music department and the other from the english department. 

“I still can’t believe it Mr. Takamiya , that a man like you, tall, handsome and passionate, can be single,” questioned one of the girls who placed herself at the edge of his desk, leaning slightly forward so Kaito could see down her shirt. Her arms rested on each side of her placed casually on the desktop, conveniently pressing her breasts together so they could appear larger. 

“I’m not too good at relationships” Kaito lightly laughed.

“But their are two parts to every relationship Mr, Takamiya. There’s the talking part, and then there’s the...” her voice trailed off as she looked away slightly blushing hoping he understood what she meant, “which one were you good at?” she looked back at him regaining confidence.  

Kaito who had been leaning back in his chair, leaned forward closing the space between him and the girl. With his head tilt, softly biting his lip before throwing her a suggestive look he whispered “What do you think?” into her ear.Luckily for her the bell for class rang, covering her burning cheeks and embarrassing attempt to answer his question.

In all the commotion around his desk, Kaito failed to see the silver-haired hunter sitting in the classroom, who as of right now was burning holes into him. Kaito figured he was pist because Zero just know realized who his Ethics teacher with a bad temper was and any attempts of him sleeping in class would get him a bad grade and a hit to the head by a book. Oh well, he wasn’t here to make friends so once the bell rung he began promptly, starting with a lecture, focusing on the main points of the chapter. All throughout though, he couldn’t help but steal glances at Zero who stared him furiously, trying his best to not fully close his droopy eyes that just wanted to stay shut. Finally class was coming to end  as he began to hear students shuffling papers and zipping backpacks. Other students who remembered his wrath from the first day when students had done this, told them to stop, but it was too late the damage was already done.

“Along with the already assigned five chapters of reading you now have a six page essay due next class, analyzing the main character and his position on the subject. Describe why you think he chooses this, what the choice itself represents, and what your own choice would have been if you were him. And don’t forget to please thank your wonderful peers who were so eager to leave class early because they really wanted to do their homework.” Kaito announced. 

Students began to moan, but were quickly quieted when Kaito spoke, “it sounds like some are complaining? Is it too little work? do you want more of a challenge? Well, I’m more than happy to oblige, you now have to read six chapters, along with the four page essay.”

The class then chose to pack up in silence, clearly angry as they all had unpleasant looks on their faces as they walked out to go to lunch. 

_______________________________

 

Kaito finished his lunch quickly, having a small conversation with the other teachers, getting a few phone numbers at the same time, before leaving to look for Zero. Cross informed him about his concern for Zero’s bloodlust and how he had been controlling it with his hunts. After some deliberation Kaito decided to check up on him, since that was the main reason why he was there. He searched the dining hall where most of his students were already walking to their friend groups but couldn’t seem to find Zero anywhere. He assumed that he was probably in the stables, after all it was during lunch when he found him there the last time.

Sure enough he was there, but what he didn’t expect to see, was Zero sleeping on a pile of hay with an apple in his hand. It made sense, Zero had been battling keeping his eyes open all during his class. Cross informed him on the hunt he had gone on, and of course everyone knew after a hunt there was always the tedious report to fill out after. Against his own strict rules he put forward in class, if the boy fell asleep he guessed he could let him sleep for at least half the period before waking him up. But right now he needed the silver-haired boy awake, he had to ask the young hunter a few questions, if this hunting partnership was ever going to work he had to know about his bloodlust. He thought that maybe he should just shake the boy awake, it was the most sensible thing of course. But he didn’t want a soft gesture to be confused as an offer for friendship, he wasn’t here for that. Kaito stood there for a minute watching Zero’s chest rise and fall until his eyes spotted the apple once more. He took the apple from his palm and then chucked it at Zero’s stomach to wake him up. Zero woke up startled and gasping for air as he instinctively wrapped his arms around his waist. 

“Was that really necessary?” Zero coldly questioned finally making sense of the situation, it was just an apple and an asshole.  

“I guess not,” he shrugged, acting as if the few seconds where Zero looked startled didn’t make him want to laugh, “I know why you hunt so much Zero, don’t try and hide it. Is your blood lust really that bad?” he asked flatly, not actually concerned for Zero, but more concerned with killing him if that was truly the answer. 

Zero turned and showed Kaito his back trying to find a comfortable position so he could fall back to sleep, “I have it under control.”

“That’s not what the Hunting Association seem to think...” 

He gained no response from the young hunter who now had his eyes fully closed, completely ignoring him. Kaito could already sense a headache beginning to form, he would not stand for this. He came for a conversation about the boy’s bloodlust, not for Zero to act like a child and ignore him. He stood there stupidly waiting for a response that was never going to come. He knew that this topic might be something delicate and that the young hunter might want to avoid it, but he had no time for this. “Fine,” he thought, “If that’s how he wants it to be...” 

“Maybe it’s not your bloodlust Kiryu, maybe it’s because you’re just a whiny baby. Crying for attention Zero?” Kaito mocked. He wasn't quite sure something as childish as what he said would even work. He hoped it would, as both their personalities were ones that could never back down from a challenge. He didn’t have to ponder for an answer though as  Zero rapidly turned his body to face Kaito.

“Really, I’m the attention seeker? Says the one who has herds of students surrounding him as he flirts with each one trying to get in their pants. Do you really need to make such a big seen in front everyone? Just because you’re handsome doesn’t mean you have to act like a fucking asshole,” he snapped back. 

Kaito was taken aback to hear Zero admit that he was, well, handsome. It’s not like he didn’t know it, he knew he was quite attractive and there were a good amount of times where he used it to his advantage. But what took him by surprise was that Zero would even notice it or care enough to say it. He guessed he shouldn’t have been as startled as he was, being aesthetically pleasing is something everyone could pick up on he assumed. Zero probably didn’t even notice that he said it, either way Kaito felt a slight tint of pink dust his cheeks. It was hardly noticeable, and probably could only be seen if you were standing a few inches from him, but since Zero wasn’t, so he ignored the feeling, “Jealous Zero? You probably don’t get that much attention from your peers? From what I can tell you lack a sense of social skills... you probably have never slept with a single person. ”

At this Zero blushed. “Well that was unexpected,” Kaito thought to himself. The cold hunter that he’d seen for the past few days didn’t emote anything other than a brooding attitude.  

“Am I right?” Kaito asked, raising up one brow to convey his curiosity. 

“What I do with my own time is private,” he answered him, all the while the softest tinge of pink kept sticking to his face.  

Kaito let out a huff of air that sounded similar to a snicker, “I’m right aren’t I?” 

Instead of a verbal response, Zero found it easier to just through the apple back at him. It would most likely leave a bruise on his left arm but Kaito didn’t care. He didn’t care that Zero’s glare became deadly, he couldn’t believe that the usual stoic hunter would have this kind of response when it came to this subject. It was like he was seeing the gentle little hunter he had known who didn’t have to carry the crushing weight on his shoulders. It was reminder to both of them that Zero didn’t know everything there was to know about the world, he was still only eighteen after all.

So maybe he didn’t get a single true or direct answer about Zero’s bloodlust, but he left feeling reassured that there was still a human side of him that Zero hadn’t forgot about so he didn’t have to kill him just yet.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, there was no memories this time haha! Don't worry there will be next chapter, and ichiru will be mentioned, because I like writing about him. Kaito is a serious flirt, and also the teacher you hate in school! And Kaito is still thinking of killing zero almost every second, calm down Kaito! haha constructive criticism welcome! :D


	6. Student Kiryuu's Childhood Crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words in "Italics" are memories.

Zero had slept through half of his math class and was planning on sleeping during his Ethics class as well. It wasn’t till he stepped in though, that he noticed a crowd of students surrounding the teacher’s desk. “What could be happening there?” he thought. Only when he sat down did he realize the teacher they all surrounded. “Kaito. Really? It had to be him”, now there was no chance of sleeping. He waited for class to begin, but couldn’t help overhear the boys and girls who crowded Kaito’s desk. “ Which one are you good at?” one of his classmates who was flirting with Kaito said. If he had to hear this everyday, he rather be a Level E. Did these people understand how much of an asshole he was? And worse, Kaito actually flirted back. He assumed Kaito was experienced since he was twenty-two, and even when they were training all those years ago, he talked about things that Zero didn’t understand. But still, that didn’t justify the fact that he paraded down the halls and in his classroom with men and women following him. It irritated Zero even more than he would like to admit. He just wanted to ignore the whole situation but he couldn’t. It only reminded him of his stupid feelings he had when he was a little boy, and he he hated it.

______________________________

 

_“Admit it Zero!” shouted Ichiru as he smothered him with hugs and tickles. Zero’s little cheeks were burning under the covers._

_“No! There’s n-nothing to a-admit” he yelled, while stuttering his words because he was awfully ticklish._

_“Lies! I won’t stop till you admit it!” His tickle attacks became stronger. Zero started to feel light-headed from all the laughing he had been doing._  

 _“Okay, okay, but you have to promise to stop!” he begrudgingly responded. Ichiru finally stopped tickling him and waited for Zero to speak, which was quite a while since he was so out of breath. Zero popped out from the covers looking away from his brother’s eyes, “I think he’s cute okay.”_  

 _At this Ichiru playfully yelled, “ Liar! admit it already Zero, you don't just think he's cute,  you love him. I see the way you stare at him. You think of him as your prince! You want to have a fairy tale wedding and be smothered by kisses from him!” he dramatically  threw his arms in the air to emphasize his point._  

 _“Quiet!” Zero said in a loud whisper, “Mom and dad can hear you!”_  

_“No, I won’t be quiet till you admit it!” then Ichiru began tickling Zero again._

  _“Hey you promised! No tickling! Fine I’ll admit it!” Zero yelled back in defeat. Ichiru moved his hands away from Zero’s ribs so he could talk, “Only if you promise to keep it a secret.” Ichiru then took his index finger and marked an “X” on his heart to show that he was serious. “Okay, I may...” Zero’s cheeks started to burn again, “have feelings for Kaito. And maybe once or twice I called him my prince. And you might have caught me in my sleep saying that I wanted to marry him, but that doesn’t mean anything...” he confessed so quietly that if Ichiru had been any farther from him, he wouldn’t have heard._

  _“Oh Zero,” He huffed  shaking his head and dragging his words out in a low tone while laying down beside his brother, “You don’t have to hide these feelings you know. If you’re doing it for me, don’t. I’m strong enough and smart enough to know I’m not being abandoned. You and me are inseparable. Don’t take pity on me because you feel like you're leaving me, that just hurts. Go and love who you want Zero.” He scrunched his face, “Even though he’s mean and kind of a bully” Ichiru slyly commented which caused Zero to lower his head feeling guilty. But he quickly felt better once his younger twin began poking him in the sides forcing laughter while he admitted, “it’s pretty obvious he cares for you too.”_

_____________________________

 

“Damn it, did I really just admit to him that he’s handsome?” Zero thought, as he mentally grunted to himself. “It was all that flirting with those students fault! If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have been reminded of an old childhood crush I had on him. It went away once I met Yuki.” He was lost in his own thought when heard Kaito ask if he ever had sex yet. Zero wasn’t ashamed that he had never slept with anyone. When thinking about the students at his school it never really interested him. There were only two people he could recall that he ever thought about sleeping with. Yuki being one of them, and the other.... At this realization Zero’s cheeks turned a bright red. Kaito couldn’t stop laughing at him which only made him blush harder. What an asshole. He couldn’t believe he ever thought of sleeping with this man.

____________________________

 

Months passed, and Zero had gotten quite used to having Kaito’s presence during his hunts. He couldn’t remember the last time he had someone there to fight by his side; it made him feel less lonely. He even saved  Zero’s life on a several occasions, even though  Zero himself was a vampire. He put up with the man’s terrible eating habits and food choices. He’d grown accustomed to Kaito’s vulgar mouth and teasing remarks during their talks while waiting for the Level E’s to appear. It felt like a routine for him to see Kaito during lunch at school too, both of them in the stables, so often they were there, that Kaito finally learned White Lily’s name.

He had adapted to sharing the same room as that man whose snores shook the whole hotel when they had to travel. He even accepted when Kaito would wake up suddenly in a cold sweat from nightmares he had. He would quickly dress himself and grab his corpse dagger before heading out the door. At first Zero let him walk out by himself, shocked because he never saw this side of Kaito.The second time it happened though, he quickly jumped out of bed and caught up to Kaito walking with him in silence until Kaito would speak, sharing a memory of his brother. Their conversations during those walks weren’t lengthy, but extremely meaningful as they both would share stories of Taito and Ichiru. It hurt, and Zero could see the ache in his eyes that asked for comfort. He couldn’t believe the strong man who would make fun of him constantly was in fact scared and hurting. He couldn’t believe that Kaito actually let him see this side of him as well, which must have meant he trusted him enough to be this fragile in front of him.

 As much as he tried though, he couldn’t get used to Kaito just walking out of the bathroom in a towel that was loosely wrapped around his waist on the brink of falling off if Kaito moved too quickly. Zero marveled at the older man’s chiseled abs and strong shoulders. Kaito would look for clothes to wear while his hair was still wet and dripping, the whole time that damn towel teased him because it never fell. He hated to admit that he would look at him in this state and long to wrap his arms around him and touch his soft, wet, slightly tanned skin or wish that he could casually tell him he had a childhood crush on him which would lead to Kaito admitting he did too. But he knew these thoughts would accomplish nothing since these feelings weren’t reciprocated and they were just vampire hunting partners after all. And more importantly he still loved Yuki. Right? When he thought of her, he still felt a dull pang that wasn’t as torturous as before, but still left him alone to suffer. His body still thirsted for her blood, but his lust for it was nowhere near as prominent as all those months ago. Kaito must have picked up on it too, because he didn’t threaten to kill him every five seconds like he did when they first met in school. He couldn’t explain why he didn’t hunger for her blood as much, but appreciated that he no longer felt like he was indebted to a pureblood for eternity.  

 With that very thought, Zero didn’t take the blood pills as often as he should have, feeling like it wasn’t necessary, even if his body disagreed. What he didn’t count on was himself forgetting to bring a pack of pills on his two week hunt with Kaito. It was break at Cross academy, and instead of him resting, The Hunter’s association decided to give them a mission that was prefectures away from where they lived. He had been feeling a little weak, and mildly sick but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. But by the second week, he had began feeling cramps regularly and a piercing prickling feeling in the back of his throat. It didn’t help that they would return from hunts beat up and exhausted.

_____________________________

 Zero woke up doubled over on the floor. A shooting pain traveled from the bottom of his stomach to his ribs. The pain was unbearable, causing his ribs to contract, forcing his breaths short. His throat was scorching and parched so much that it made taking in air difficult, only accomplishing an even more dried out sensation to drape over his throat. He felt like he was about to lose consciousness when he sensed a pair of arms wrap around him and pull him close as a voice began shouting his name. He caught the scent of the other person in the room- a hunter. Kaito? He couldn’t think or see clearly, all he could focus on was the blood that pulsated under the skin of the man holding him. Images of blood dripping and the taste of iron flooded his mind. His fangs were already elongated and ready to bite the other person's neck, but he was scared. The last person he ever bit was Ichiru, and he cried holding his dead brother’s body in his arms. He wasn’t ready to relive that trauma. He never felt more like a creature of the night than that moment. He mentally swore for forgetting to bring his pills and thinking he could withstand the urge.

 Tears were now rolling down his face as he fought internally with himself. He never wanted to hurt a single person again. He just wanted the hunter to do what he was supposed to do with vampires who couldn’t control their bloodlust any longer. But all he heard was the man shouting at him. He finally looked at the man who was embracing him long enough to make out a familiar face. It was a worried and scared Kaito holding him close. He wanted to tell him how much he cared for him and surprisingly longed for a moment like this where Kaito could touch him without his casual mockery mixed in. Where their stone cold masks could drop and they didn't have to live up to expectations of how to act and what to say, keeping that cold barrier with every person they interacted with. He sought out the warmth, inching subconsciously closer to Kaito's body, as if he could lure the warmth out with his mere presence. As much as he was agonizing in pain, the warmth surrounded him, reassuring him that he wasn't a beast, that he could choose. He wanted to tell those arms to not let go, that they somehow brought a sense of security but he was too weak to speak these words, the sounds of his own name being heard, faded into the background as he finally lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Zero, it will be okay! Kaito's there! Constructive criticism welcome! :D


	7. Blood Lust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words in "Italics" are memories.

_ “I thought I was your insurance,” Kaito scoffed. _

_ He found it rather ironic that the man he was sent to help, was helping him right now. He studied Zero’s reaction, masked under the aloof and uncaring manner, the eagerness in his eyes waited in anticipation for Kaito to continue. “Taito was really too old to hang out with me” he started out of nowhere, “He tried his best though, you know... with the way my parents were....”  _

_ “Where you two close?” Zero asked. _

_ “No. But when I really needed someone, I knew I could count on him.” Kaito reflected with a melancholic smile as he looked ahead at nothing in particular, visualizing a smiling Taito standing at the end of the road.  _

_ “He thought I would be a great hunter.” _

_ “You are” Zero blurted. Kaito threw him a questioning glance which prompted Zero to further clarify, “I-I’m not saying it just to compliment you Kaito. I thought the Hunting Association pairing us up made sense. I knew you were talented with a blade, and I was with a gun. Your fighting techniques are like hypnosis really; I find myself mesmerized by you on the battlefield,” Zero admitted, almost as if the words had been held down for so long they were easily flowing out. Kaito listened attentively, repeating to himself that it was only the freezing cold air that had made his cheeks a light shade of pink.  _

_ “Truthfully I wasn’t sure we would be good hunting partners,” Kaito commented, “I’ve never had one. I was too young to hunt with my brother, my parents hunting as a pair meant catastrophe, and the last time we trained together was seven years ago when your innocence blinded your judgement,” he sighed, feeling his aching muscles and droopy eyes weigh on him.   _

_ “What made you change you your mind?”  _

_ “You have my back as much as I have yours when hunting. I’m not a proud bastard who can’t acknowledge your skills.You’re a phenomenal hunter Zero. I hate to see that all go to waste....”  _

_ “What do you mean?” _

_ “Your bloodlust Zero. Control it. I saw you on our last hunt, you thought I wasn’t paying attention but you sucked the life force out of that Level-E.” He looked to his side, but Zero was no longer there, he remained still and frigid, unable to lift his head up. Kaito turned to look at him, “Zero don’t misunderstand. I am here to help you, but that’s only if you haven’t forgotten what it means to be human, because the second you forget that, I will not hesitate to come after you.” He searched Zero’s face for a response but his eyes were downcast, locked permanently on the ground. “I haven't killed you Zero because I believe that even though you aren’t human anymore, you still know the difference,” Kaito acknowledged his resilience as his body was now inches from Zero’s. He grabbed the bottom of his chin and tilted his head up while he spoke to him in a forceful manner, “Look at me Zero. Don’t ever put your head down in shame, you may be a vampire but you’re more a human than any blood sucker I’ve ever met; I’m here to make sure it stays that way.”  _

_ It was vital for him to make sure he wouldn’t turn out like one of those-- creatures. With the sudden closeness and the fact that his hand still laid pressed against Zero’s face, he couldn’t help but notice how stunning he was. He had never been close enough to notice the the flecks of silver in those amethyst eyes or the way the breeze carried the smell of his lilac scented hair. It sent a shiver down his spine-- and he didn’t blame it on the cold weather this time. He wanted to pull him into an embrace and kiss him till all the guilt left from his eyes.  _

_ Instead Zero desperately stared at him and whispered, “Yuki....” _

_ Kaito felt his shoulders slump farther than ever before. He extracted himself from the warm area created by the two until he forced himself back into the cold air of the dead night.  _

_ “I still crave Yuki’s blood, it’s unbearable. I know she’s a pureblood, but I still have feelings for her. Everytime I think about her at  _ **_his_ ** _ side, I just...” His last words trailed off, as he clenched his fists.  _

_ Kaito knew he wasn’t picking vampires over humans, or vampires over a certain hunter in specific, but his rational self was nowhere to be found. He took a few moments to collect himself, before giving his anything but eloquent advice, “Purebloods are shit who only care about more shit. You should be proud Zero that you’re not pile of crap.”  _

_ Zero smiled and let out an animated laugh as he slowly unclenched his fists. Kaito’s crass way of speaking never failed to pull out emotions from Zero that very few others could do. He thought about what Zero was going through though, maybe he’ll start to carry a pack of blood tablets too, just in case this happened again.  _

_ They walked back the rest of the way in silence.  _

_ __________________________________ _

Kaito thought about the many times him and Zero talked on those long walks, Zero asking about Tatio, himself more than happy to respond. He laid down in his bed remembering the time Yuki was brought up, even though that was months ago, he still was sure Zero felt the same way about her now that he did then. Pushing away those thoughts he turned to his side knowing that he needed to get some sleep before waking up in a few hours.

His sleep was interrupted though by a loud thud coming from the direction of Zero’s bed. Kaito still in a daze, waved his hand around searching for the lamp on the desk near him. The sudden change in light caused him to squint his eyes,“What the hell woke me up at three am?” he voiced, still heavy with sleep. The pained moan coming from the other side answered his question. “What the hell Zero,” he groaned, already on the verge of throwing a pillow at the young hunter, but when he received no response he peered over the other side only to realize Zero writhing in pain on the floor. The sight immediately woke him up from his sleepy state as he lunged towards the small man curled up in a ball, trying hard to breath. His face was buried into his stomach and his whole body seemed tense on the verge of breaking. 

He pulled the man into his arms and began to frenziedly shout, “Zero! Zero! What’s wrong? What the hell Zero! What’s going on?” The man didn’t respond, only staying in the twisted position on the floor. “Zero! For fuck’s sake look at me! What hell is going on?” He desperately brought him closer, resting his body onto his laps, staring at his hunting partner helplessly. Zero’s tight shut eyes slowly released their hold, revealing a famished vampire with crimson orbs and a glassy stare.

Kaito nearly threw him off and grabbed his Corpse Dagger the second he saw those primal eyes looking back at him but as he concentrated on the boy doubled over, he witnessed the tears that came from a vampire’s eyes. His wall cracked further, the pieces chipped off and fell freely. Those eyes were too familiar, too close to his past, they were eyes that knew “ _ the burden of being a vampire.”  _ Those were eyes begging him to end it for him because it was too much for him to bare. Those were eyes pleading Kaito to help him die. 

To hell if Kaito was going to let that fucking happen again! He was plagued with nightmares of a relentless Taito pleading with him not to kill him and then vowing to never forgive him for not trying hard enough. This wasn’t his nightmare though and he  **_could_ ** do something for Zero.

He reluctantly let go of him as he ran and searched for his bag for a few blood tablets and water; luckily he found two left and leaped back to Zero and shoved them into his mouth. He knew this would stabilize him for now, but Zero still needed blood and soon. 

He knew what he had to do-- he was going to give Zero his blood. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be uploading the rest of the chapters soon!! Aww Kaito you do care! haha! Constructive criticism welcome! :D


	8. Kaito's Blood

 

Zero was still in a foggy haze when he opened his eyelids. “Hmm” he grumbled out as he tried getting up, realizing the silky sheets that cradled his body weren’t the ones in the hotel. Concentrating on anything else other than his aching muscles and dried throat, he noticed everything was in order, neat and tidy, like everything here had a place. Well except for him who right now was trying to get his head to stop spinning enough to sit up. He looked in the other direction finding a light that was coming from the bathroom. He instinctively reached for his Bloody Rose but to his dismay is wasn’t there, causing him to groan in pain from the sudden movement. 

“Finally, you’re awake” Kaito said as he walked out of the bathroom. 

“Where’s Bloody Rose?”

“Still in your jacket, in your duffel bag.”

“Where are we?” Zero asked, finding his own voice raspier than expected. 

“My apartment. I’m surprised you don’t recognize it. Then again you’ve never been in my room have you?” Kaito asked as he moved to the edge of the bed where Zero rested.

The sudden close proximity left Zero light headed, unsure if it was his blood lust or something else that left him transfixed on the older man.  

“Zero” Kaito sternly voiced, “ you need to feed.” He began slowly unbuttoning his shirt, his slender fingers reluctantly moving down from button to button. Zero’s eyes were glued to the sight, but he made no effort to come any closer. “Are you afraid you’re going to hurt me?”

“You know Kaito, you may think I can sleep learn, but I think you can mindread.” 

Kaito’s hands ignored whatever small comment the young hunter said, only stopping once all the buttons were undone, “I’m still unsure about this whole thing too, but one thing I can say with certainty, is that I know you won’t hurt me,” Kaito’s low voice echoed into his ear causing Zero to tremble.

“Kaito. I can’t. I... the last time I drank someone else’s... Ichiru, he...” His coherent and rational mind was depleting quickly, being around a scent that he increasingly found more alluring every time spent with Kaito was difficult. “Please Kaito don’t make me do this, I know how hard it is for you too so-”

“Ichiru? You do know he cared about you...”

“What?”

“That’s why he let you bite him. He was already dying, but he let you bite him.”

“Kaito please don’t talk about-”

“He was already dying, you couldn’t do a damn thing about it, not like Taito...,” he whispered to himself.

“Kaito..” they name fell heavy on Zero’s lips. 

While lost in his own thoughts, a hand reached to grab Zero’s cheek, He couldn’t help but shudder from the warmth of Kaito’s hand and hot breath on his face. “I know how bad it hurts to think about Ichiru but I already made my decision, you have to survive, so will you let me do this? Will you let me protect you?” 

The complex question that presented itself so innocently held a pleading quality that left Zero without a voice for a moment. Kaito only responded by peeling off his shirt revealing the rest of his upper torso. 

The usual copper taste was masked by a sweet and tangy one that coated every inch of his mouth. Zero’s fangs dug deeper being completely captivated by the scent that filtered through the room. Fatigue and pain vanished as he took in more of Kaito’s blood, muscles repairing and cuts healing quicker than before. Small flickers of hurt, trust and a strong urge to protect flowed in and out of Zero’s consciousness the more he drank but he only drank what was necessary, stopping before Kaito could feel light-headed. 

He pulled away slowly, eyes glued to the wound he just created. It made him nauseous thinking that he had just gorged himself by indulging on his friend’s blood. Wrapped in his own distorted thoughts, Zero’s head was suddenly jerked up revealing his watery eyes. 

“Look at you, don’t go crying again you wuss...”

“You know Kaito, has anyone ever told you you’re a big asshole?”

“Ya, you do, just about everyday we hang out” he chuckled. It had become part of their daily routine to call each other these names, the words “wuss” and “asshole” in particular, were a regular part of their vernacular as they playfully teased each other. Zero let out a weak smile, one that clearly couldn’t mask the turmoil he felt inside. He wanted something to come and take the pain away, to make him forget all those thoughts. As if Kaito read his mind, a pair of slightly chapped lips found his. 

As soon as it began it ended, but it was enough for a soft blush to gently spread across the silver-haired hunter’s cheeks.

“Was that your first kiss Zero?”

Perhaps still too relaxed from drinking blood, perhaps a degree intoxicated from the aroma, his hand traced small patterns into Kaito’s smooth shoulder, while his mind retraced memories of them when they was little. He used to dream about his first kiss, but he never thought it would actually be with Kaito, although at that age, he thought it would be at their wedding wondering if Kaito would take his last name, becoming Kaito Kiryuu, or he would take his, becoming Zero Takamiya. 

“I can do more than just kiss...” 

He stared at Kaito’s lips once more, wondering how many things Kaito had done with others. A passing thought of why Kaito would even want to sleep with him crawled into his mind and he suspected that if there was anyone that Kaito really wanted to sleep with, it would have to be Wakaba Sayori. She was 18 just like Zero, and her smart witty personality and beatiful face attracted Kaito immediately.  

He knew the older hunter wasn’t one for attaching romantic thoughts with sex, one night stands were more his style and anything happening between the two right now was mostly likely spurred on by a sex-deprived twenty-two year old was forbidden by Cross to sleep with the students.

The hot breath ghosting over his lips sent a shiver down his spine, bringing him back to the situation he was in currently. Their breath intermingled in the small space between, only enhancing the tingling sensation Zero could still feel on his lips from their soft kiss. Maybe he should have said something then, mentioned to him he wasn’t one for one night stands or casual sex. Maybe he should have mentioned that sex was the farthest thing from his mind usually but with Kaito it would sometimes find itself popping into his head. Maybe he should have said something, but the close contact and overwhelming warmth had him lost. 

He recognized this warmth, the effect of being in this hunter's presence. He recounted the way Kaito's hands would always reach for him right when a Level-E was about to pounce on him, always full of care as he pulled him to safety but without fail always stopping before they could reach out too far. He knew he wanted more than small touches here and there, and tonight he wanted the intimacy Kaito was willing to give him, he wanted this. 

“Then show me...”

At that instance his world tilted as he went from sitting down to lying on his back wrapped in the older man’s arms being pulled into another kiss. But this one was different; it was heated and desperate with the way Kaito's hands ruffled and tangled his hair while his tongue licked the lips of the younger male’s asking for entrance. Zero  hesitantly  opened his mouth, letting the two explore each other's caverns at their own pace, becoming more and more curious and entranced by the second. Kaito’s tongue was able to eloquently dance circles around his, as he maneuvered in ways that were too advanced for him, but that only caused his arousal to become even stronger. He never realized how much pleasure one could have from kissing another, as he sucked on the wet muscle in his mouth fervently, making the man above him grunt. He found that his own hands had slipped around Kaito’s back, giving himself the time to indulge in the expanse of smooth skin and tense muscles along his broad back. It was intoxicating, leaving his hands in bewilderment as they left a trail of scratch marks that forced a hiss out of Kaito.

He was completely enveloped in touching every inch of the man above him, that he didn’t realize when Kaito’s leg had slipped between his own and started rubbing against his hard on underneath his pants. Zero stifled a moan finding it slightly embarrassing, but it was soon forgotten as he steadily became a panting mess when the older hunter persistently kept rubbing his knee against his hardened arousal. He was nervous and excited, filling himself with mixed emotions of wanting Kaito to continue and slow down at the same time. The pleasure he felt from Kaito’s actions coaxed another soft moan to escape his lips. By now Zero’s was a complete mess as his shirt was torn off and hair uncombed and wild. He found it exhilarating though, every time Kaito’s hands touched below his belly button, teasing him at the belt buckle. His own arousal was now aching and the denim of his pants felt too tight, wanting them to be torn off because he was impatient, but wanting them to stay on because everything felt too fast.

“Kaito...” Zero whined out, staring at him with needy eyes. 

“Zero, I only want to go as far as you are comfortable.” His arms were on either side of Zero, as his eyes met with his, and then slowly trailed down his torso till they met with his belt buckle. His head tilted back up as he kissed Zero’s neck and collarbone sweetly, though the way his hot tongue trailed against his skin told him there was a possesive and yearning feeling behind it. Zero let out another moan, this time louder than before, gasping as Kaito began to slowly move towards his chest area where his sensitive nipples were.  Each touch sent Zero deeper into the dependable warmth that was Kaito. 

Zero felt safe wrapped in the older man’s arms. It was a feeling he wasn’t used to- feeling protected. “Let me protect you,” the words that Kaito said earlier rung in his head once more. Sure he trusted Yuki and now Kaito with taking his life, but protecting it? He had become so used to being a shield or knight for someone else, he forgot how it felt to have someone be there for him; to have as much value in his life, as he had for theirs. 

He was comfortable around Kaito, and he trusted him, knowing that he would take care of him. They were close, but tonight he wanted to be closer, as close as their bodies would let them.

“I want to go as far as you’ll take me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully that came across as sweet and somewhat romantic and also showing the progress of their relationship as time has passed!! Constructive criticism welcome! :D


	9. The Ball: A Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9 yay! haha! Sorry about the chapter quantity changing, I wanted 10 chapters but it was too much to to cram into 10 so I made it 13, it should stay that way, hopefully I don't change it! haha!

“Okay class, the essay is due Monday and I moved your project due date to next week. You can leave now,” Kaito informed the class. 

He noticed the way some students left quickly saying their thank yous, while the usual half-asleep hunter sluggishly packed his books, lingering longer than the rest. He was convinced it was purposeful, as Zero would take unusually longer when other students would crowd Kaito’s desk after class and ask him questions. Once the other students left, the two would spend the whole lunch period together, usually eating in the stables, with Kaito occasionally choosing to eat in the cafeteria, forcing Zero to talk to others, and finally have people he could call “close acquaintances” as Zero liked to say.  

“Mr. Takamiya, that was a really great lecture today. You’re always so passionate, it’s really admiring...”

“Thank you Yori, it means more coming from you,” he softly spoke as he leaned against his desk. “Actually I’m glad you’re here, I had something to ask of you. I remembered the other day you mentioned a certain friend of yours.”

“Yes, do you know where she is?”

“I do. She’s going to be at a ball. So I was wondering, Yori, would you like to go with me?”

“Do you mean like a date?” She asked.

“Yes. Would you?”

“I would love to.” 

Yori was one of his best students in the class. He knew that he probably shouldn't have invited her, but truthfully he didn’t want to go to the ball alone, being forced to stare at Zero’s lovesick face when he spotted Yuki. 

He didn’t expect anything to come of that night when they slept together, he already knew that Zero loved Yuki, it might at as well be fact. He knew all of this but he still went ahead with it, telling himself that it was just sex like usual, even though he knew that this time something had changed. 

He ignored the awkward tension between him and Zero not even talking to him for almost a week since his papers and faculty meetings increased. He wasn’t intentionally avoiding him, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved. 

“So do you have another meeting today too?” Zero asked coldly, taking Kaito’s attention away from Yori who was leaving, to Zero’s stunning face. 

He stared into those cold eyes, nothing like the heated gaze from that one night. He liked seeing the normally unimpassioned hunter, moaning and gasping underneath him. He liked hearing his name being called again and again till it was just incoherent pants. He liked feeling the silver-haired hunter shiver as he orgasmed, coming all over Kaito’s hand. He liked the way the usual pristine hunter cuddled next to him when they woke up; his arms loosely wrapped around his torso. He liked the way that after Zero took a shower and realized his clothes were dirty with blood, he had to put on Kaito’s clothes. They were loose fitting on him but Zero wore them without any complaints. He would never tell Zero that he looked rather cute in those baggy clothes. 

The nervous side was different from the tough confident man that fought and killed Level Es with him until he was sweating. Then again, on a battlefield or in a private room, Zero always met Kaito’s expectations when he reached out to him. He could have sworn he felt- no, he pushed those sentimental thoughts away, because it was pointless, they were friends, and that was all Zero was going to see him as since his heart belonged to Yuki. 

“Yeah, sorry. Guess I’ll see you later tonight at the-.”

“Ya, with your date Wakaba Sayori. We’re on a job Kaito, we’re not meant to have fun. She’s going to be a distraction.”

Kaito continued now slightly irritated, "She's just one person and we are some of the best hunters Zero, it won’t be a problem. Plus, if I ask her out, and we start dating, I don’t think Cross will be upset, because I’m doing it all proper you know...”

“Whatever...” he grunted before swiftly leaving. Kaito didn’t need to be a Vampire Hunter to realize that Zero was fuming. He’d usually leave calling Kaito an asshole or awkwardly stand next to him before Kaito would pull Zero’s hand in for a cool handshake and light hug and ending with Kaito calling him a wuss. He knew Zero had a cold demeanor and that he disliked Yori, but he didn’t realize how bad it was. But Kaito couldn’t un-invite her, and he didn’t want to either. He did think she was sweet and pretty and if he were to date, better her than anyone else; he didn’t love her, but after time, he probably could, right?

______________________________

 

Kaito stepped out of his car and hastily walked over to the other side, opening the door for Yori. Her long light pink dress touched the ground before her small feet did. Her delicate hand reached out to grab Kaito’s for assistance. He smiled at her gently, seeing that she was fairly nervous being around a large quantity of vampires. 

“Yori, I won’t let anything happen to you. Stay near me okay?”

“Okay Mr. Takamiya.”

“We’re on a date Yori, you can call me Kaito.”

“Oh okay, Mr.- er, I mean Kaito.” She giggled feeling reassured.

They walked to the front gate where Zero was waiting for them. He huffed and turned the other direction once they came. Kaito was normally a timely man but picking up Yori set him behind. 

“Hey Zero, I was-”

“You’re late...” Zero cut him off glancing at Yori who held onto Kaito’s arm before glaring back at the older hunter and walking away. Kaito would have normally punched him but he knew how on edge he must be having to see the two purebloods who disrupted his life, so he let it slide. 

They entered the venue and Kaito immediately tensed up, unconsciously tightening his grip on Yori’s hand. Purebloods, nobles, and high class vampires filled the luxurious venue. He looked past Yori, who was completely amazed by the class of vampires that roamed, to an agitated hunter staring into an abyss. 

“Okay Yori, you can look for your friend now, but stay close, where I can see you.”

“Thank you Mr. I mean, Kaito. I won’t be long,” she reassured him as she left to look for Yuki.

“See Zero, I can still do the job, she wasn’t a distraction,” but Zero didn’t respond, he was tense, rigid, and his eyes were on something distant in the venue. He turned his head towards Zero whose eyebrows had furrowed at his sudden stare. He wasn’t sure what caused it, blood lust, having to see certain individuals that hurt him in the past, or something else.

“Zero what’s going on with-”

“I’ll patrol over there, I suggest you focus on your job.” Zero interrupted him once more that night. Kaito’s shoulder’s tensed up and his jaw clenched lightly at that curt response. He was going to respond when a tug from his left sleeve of his blazer disrupted him. 

“Yuki still isn’t here, so would it be okay if I waited here, with you?”

“Of course Yori,” He smiled, forcing  his anger down, seeing that he wasn’t angry at her, but instead the bewildering attitude that the hunter had toward him tonight. He instead began a light conversation between the two asking her things like how many siblings she had, places in the city she liked, her favorite move etc...

The hour past, and he drifted his attention from Yori to the noble vampires who pretended to be civil, trying their best to look perfect for their Pureblood Kaname. It was only a few minutes after, that he came down the stairs when a herd of women crowded him. Mothers offered their daughters to Kaname as his wife and the daughters desperately tried to divert his attention away from the other girl with longer hair or brighter smile. Their offers were moot once Yuki came shortly after him and he announced her as his mate. Yori ran over to Yuki whose surprise and excitement made her forget her role as a princess for a second as she hugged her deeply. 

He stared in their direction from time to time seeing the two talk and laugh but he hardly cared to know the details as he regularly checked on the status of his hunting partner the whole night. The ball finally came to an end, vampires slowly trickling out couple by couple. Yori left Yuki’s side and glided with her draped dress that hugged her waist back to Kaito, “Sorry I took so long, the evening is practically gone and we never had time to really talk.”

“That’s fine,” he assured, “if you had a good time with your friend then that’s what matters most. We’ll be leaving soon so stay by me.”

His feet were beginning to ache, but the idea of getting to leave this party of bloodsuckers brought a bounce to his step. He wrapped his arm with Yori’s and walked in the direction he saw Zero previously. Ready to grab the young hunter and get the hell out already he reached out his free arm but stopped it midway.

“Just like always,” he whispered to himself.

He wanted to reach out but something always stood in his way, like maybe Zero wasn’t his to reach out to. And like magic, Yuki approached the silver-haired hunter and reached out to him, hands covering his in a matter of seconds. She disappeared for months yet there she was speaking to him as if it were nothing. As if her hand didn’t burn from strenuous journey it took to land there. That’s when it clicked. 

Zero wasn’t his to reach out to, he was Yuki’s. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is Zero acting so weird? Could it be he's jealous because Kaito and Yori are a couple now?!?! lol! Yuki and Zero are going to finally meet in the next chapter and protective Kaito will be there to see it! Thanks for reading!! Constructive criticism welcome! :D


	10. The Ball: Purebloods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I usually switch perspectives every chapter but since this is basically part two of the ball, I stayed with Kaito's perspective. Also just FYI, I changed Kaito back to being an Ethics teacher like he is in the manga. I had him as an english teacher because I was going to do something with that but I scratched the idea so he's back to ethics! Anyways back to the story! Enjoy!

“Zero, I missed you. I had no idea what had happened to you after I left. I wanted to look for you, but I wasn’t sure how you felt about seeing me.” The hunter merely stared back at Yuki in silence. “I guessed you would still be angry at me.”

“I’m not angry at you... at least... not any more.”

Yuki reached out for his hand and leaned in closer so her face was mere inches away. “Oh Zero!” she breathed out alleviated by his response, her voice cracking as she was holding back more relief than she revealed. Kaito noticed the grip on Zero’s hand tighten as she brought their locked hands towards her chest. “Everything has just been happening so fast! I don’t know what I’m doing, how to act, what to say around nobles.” Her voice changed from the high-pitched to a soft and bashful tone, “I- I felt much safer when I was with you. You know I care about you right? It’s just, I care about Kaname too, it- it’s been... confusing,” she concluded, trying her best to formulate sentences from the mixed feelings she obviously had for both Zero and Kaname. Even though she had chosen to stay by Kaname’s side, it seems like she never fully made up her mind. 

And that’s what aggravated Kaito. She still wanted Zero around since she loved and cared for him, but he could only be accepted as her knight in shining armor, because her heart was already preoccupied with her prince. She would tell Zero that she needed him, but would run to the pureblood every single time. And no matter how much pain it caused Zero to see her run to his arms, he stood with her, loved her, protected her, even now as a pureblood he accepts her, and again, she repeats the same story, proudly standing by the Pureblood Prince’s side, telling Zero she wanted to be by his. 

“Zero,” Yuki moved close enough so she could whisper in his ear, “I miss moments like this, I miss not having you around.”

It was a loud enough whisper for Kaito to hear it; his face muscles tensed when he glanced back at the hunter whose face was unreadable. His eyes couldn’t move away from the intertwined fingers that seemed inseparable. He knew how Zero felt about her from the start, but that didn’t mean that seeing it made it any easier. He felt unreasonably betrayed catching the warm smile Yuki gave Zero and the sweet face Zero reserved for her eyes only. He forcefully tried to remember his new plan of forgetting whatever feelings he may have for the silver haired hunter and move on, but at the moment it was failing him. 

He wanted to stop the interaction between the two as fast as possible when Kuran Kaname entered the space between the two pulling Yuki’s hand back causing the bond that seemed inseparable to face the reality of its fragility. 

“Zero, I suggest you leave, your services are no longer required here. It’s just like before is it not? Hardly useful and then easily disposed,” Kaname snarled. 

Zero shot him a glare, “This conversation doesn’t involve you.”

“Of course it does, anything said to my beautiful Yuki is of utmost importance to me, especially coming from filth like you, I don’t want her head to be filled with nonsense from insignificant creatures.”

Yuki’s stare dropped, filled with guilt, as if she wanted to say something but was unsure how to approach a situation with two people she cared for dearly. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly closed it, shaking her head slightly and deciding it was best to look down in silence. 

Kaito on the other hand was more than ready to speak up. He had been absolutely frustrated with Zero’s behavior all day, and this scene he had been forced to stand in front of, tipped him over the edge. He was infuriated with Zero, Yuki and of course Kaname as he heard him bark at Zero with malice coating every word, spitting out lies that Zero was useless. He interrupted the unfortunate scene by hastily yanking out his Corpse dagger and aiming it at Kaname, luckily for him most of the guests had left so there wasn’t a huge commotion,“Move one inch closer to Zero and I’ll kill you. Even if you just trip forward by accident, I will stab you right in the heart.”

“I’m sure the Hunting Association wouldn’t be pleased to hear that Kaito Takamiya has killed a pureblood,” Kaname spoke in a condescending manner.

“You think you can designate who is disposable and insignificant, well I for one have had enough of your games. You think your fucking petty threats scare me? Fuck whatever the Hunting Association thinks, they can kill me if they want, but not before I stab your damn heart out. ” 

From the widened eyes and jaws that dropped, Kaito could surmise that his sudden outburst stunned the vampires that were still there. Kaito knew killing a vampire, and a pureblood at that, without probable cause was against Hunting Association rules, but after the HA scandals of last year, and his already unethical view of life, this only seemed like the most logical choice to his illogical feeling of fury. He gripped the handle of his corpse dagger till his knuckles turned white; the dagger seeming deadlier than usual as it’s fine point twinkled at its large target. Kaito’s glare never faltered as he glowered down at the pureblood who was slightly shorter than him. Their scowls challenging each other to make a move, until finally the pureblood addressed him,

“Perhaps another time.” and Kaname stepped back and left, not wanting to cause any more of a scene. Yuki watched as Kaito withdrew his dagger before looking back at Zero with longing eyes.

“Yuki is it?” Kaito asked, knowing full well what her name was, “Haven’t you done enough? I’m tired of all this bullshit. I’m telling you now, either let Zero go, or choose him. Or do you really intend to waver between two options your whole life, while you cause pain and agony to others?”

“I never intended...” she whispered under her breath. Yuki closed her eyes and stiffened, carrying the aura of the princess that she now was. She opened them to reveal watery eyes, but her face stayed emotionless. She gazed at Zero before letting out one single word,“sorry,” and she left in the same direction as her mate.

Kaito finally turned around to face Zero, his anger still overflowing. “And you, what the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded, “One minute with her and you're back in her hold. Is that all you want to fucking do in life, wait till she decides who she wants? I thought you were angry at her and that’s why you’ve been acting like a damn jerk all night, but obviously not!” He huffs out in confusion, “Whatever’s fucking killing you inside isn’t about her and if you won’t talk to me, at least talk to your family Zero,” he exasperatingly breathed out before stomping away.

In all the commotion he completely forgot about Yori, who was waiting for him, albeit somewhat frightened, near the door of the ballroom. He dragged his feet to go meet her, thinking his goal of having a date was now ruined.

“Yori, first I would like to apologize for tonight,” he began while they walked to the car, “I’m sure that must have frightened you. I never wanted you to feel uncomfortable or in danger in any way. I also understand that Yuki was your friend, but there was a lot that has past that I couldn’t  let go. Secondly, I perfectly understand if after tonight, you wouldn’t want to go out with me anymore. I have a dangerous job, and sometimes my actions are... unconventional.”

The walk to the car seemed like miles as he forced one foot in front of the other in deafening silence. “This is all still very new to me” she began abruptly, “so I don’t know the proper actions one must have. But I do know that if someone was trying to hurt me, I would want someone like you near me. You really care a lot about your friends, and I admire that,” she paused for a few seconds before continuing, “But I couldn’t help but notice where your eyes fell throughout the whole ball- and they weren’t on me.” Kaito didn’t know he could feel embarrassment, but that fact that she realized how many times his eyes fell upon that damned hunter made him completely forget how to use language. She failed to notice his predicament though, as she gazed longingly into the cool night sky and sighed, “I remember the first day I came to school and met Yuki, Kaname, and Zero. I have to admit, I was fairly intrigued to see how it turned out. Kaname treating Yuki as his princess, Yuki blushing at the mere presence of him and Zero infuriated and breaking them apart as soon as possible, it was a mad love triangle where one was going to be deeply hurt. But then you came and well... Zero doesn’t fall asleep as much in class, and he always eats lunch with you, and even has friends. I was afraid he lost all hope once Yuki left, but I was wrong. It was completely unexpected, unscripted, unlikely, and yet, I find it completely unbreakable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kaito he's so frustrated with everything especially Zero! haha! Yori though is very caring and looking out for the two, even if Zero doesn't really like her haha! Thanks for reading! Constructive Criticism welcome! :D


	11. The Hunt: Dissonance

Zero didn’t like anything about his conversation with Sara at her high school. The way she was changing school girls into vampires, choosing ones who would willingly participate, disgusted him. The fact that she whisked him away just to whisper in his ear how she could sense the presence of his overflowing bloodlust, sickened him. And the fact that he had to inquire all this information on his own because he wasn’t speaking to a certain stupid hunter infuriated him. Lately, Zero had been feeling like his emotions were on the brink of erupting any second, as if he were an unstable volcano that had been dormant for too long. He couldn’t even begin to explain his anger towards Kaito the whole night of the ball, with Kaito walking around with a girl on his arms, and his uncalled for outburst towards him. Not to mention his whole encounter with Yuki, and the spiteful words shared between Kaname and Kaito on Zero’s behalf, left him utterly confused. So, it was just easier to call the hunter stupid and avoid him, which was possible since everything Kaito did was stupid. Like the way Kaito could only create bland food in the kitchen and eat fast food, so Zero had started to cook for him during the long weekends off. The older hunter probably never had the time to properly cook himself a meal anyways as he foolishly overworked himself with stacks of papers from students and reports for the Hunting Association all over his table. He had to be idiotic if he thought he could take on so much work. Or the way Kaito used to meet up with him for lunch but only after he was in the cafeteria or the stables, which made no sense to him since both of them came directly from the same class period. So Zero had started waiting for the older hunter after class, although he would never admit it, especially now since he stopped waiting.

He fumbled with his keys before opening the door to his apartment, just now realizing how tired he had been from his whole day. He didn’t have time to deal with more purebloods when he could barely keep up with his own vampirism. Speaking of which, he pulled out two blood tablets from his side pocket. He eyed the tablets intently, remembering the last time he had blood was when he drank from- no he didn’t want to remember anything of that night, it obviously meant nothing to Kaito, he made it clear by inviting Yori to the ball, so it shouldn’t matter to him. He popped the tablets into his mouth, reminding himself that the tablets is the taste that he craves, not blood, and definitely not Kaito’s blood. He repeated it to himself as he forced all the muscles in his mouth to move, masticating the bland monotonous taste that the tablets gave off.

He hoped that checking his mail that he left on the kitchen counter this morning would take his mind off the headache that threatened to emerge if he kept swirling around the same thoughts in his head. He began to shuffle through the stack of mail, leaning over the counter in a more relaxed state while flipping through the array of bills and advertisements. He tossed one aside after the other, some flashing bold words that read  “Free Cruise” or “Free Trip to Hawaii,” until he stumbled upon a black envelope. Any reminisce of relaxation quickly vanished as his fingertips ran over the embossed lettering that decorated the ebony paper. He flipped over the the envelope to expose a thick gold seal and hesitantly tore it in half to peer into the contents inside:

New assignment: Six level E’s

Location: Sakai, Osaka

Vampire Hunters: Kaito Takamiya, Zero Kiryuu

-Hunter’s Association

It was as if someone had purposefully sucked the air out of the room while simultaneously implanting butterflies in his stomach. The one man he had been purposefully avoiding, he was now going to be forced to interact with. Now more than ever, he wished he was on that free cruise.

_________________

“They’re in the run-down pink building.”

“What,” Zero called over to Kaito as he was just waking up from under the warmth of the thin hotel sheets. He had been completely exhausted from the plane ride that by the time he arrived at the hotel, he didn’t even have the energy to find something decent to wear while he slept. He barely even noticed the lump in the other bed as he crawled into his.

“While I was out I found the Level-E’s hide out. It's an old abandoned pink building. All six were there, but I’m pretty sure some have already fed so we need to hurry up.”

Kaito walked in holding take-out that would be edible enough for Zero’s standards and placed the warm food on the table next to the television.

Zero kicked off his sheets, revealing his naked torso and black boxer briefs he wore. He went to his duffle bag to quickly throw on a pair of black trousers, a collared shirt, and coat where he could tuck his Bloody Rose in. No longer in a sleepy haze, he scarfed down his food with one hand while slipping on his shoes with the other. “Let’s go then,” he finally answered, hoping to end this trip as soon as possible .

The air between the two hunters was stuffy, even if there was a cool breeze circulating through the city. Neither gave any sign or effort to speak to the other. Unable to stand the atmosphere any longer, Zero marched forward, leaving Kaito behind. He arrived first at the corner of the street where It seemed purposefully avoided, almost as if everything there had been abandoned. The trees seemed dead, the flowers wilted and the stale air carried nothing but the feeling of decay as it settled into his respiratory system. Even if it wasn’t the most desired of smells, the stale air was more desirable than the stifling one he encountered when standing next to Kaito.

The pink building at the end of the street was no different; it’s dilapidated structure proved that no human could inhabit this area. The only reason for this two-story building to stay intact was for the monstrous creatures that resided inside.

It was almost second nature for both hunters now to enter a vampire filled venue with Zero first, going in guns blazing and Kaito second, killing the rest that survived the gunshots or happen to scatter ahead of time. They usually gave each other a nod, or some sort of signal that they were both ready to invade the Level E’s hide out. But this time was different, something was off key. Neither of them gave each other a look. Zero was much farther ahead and wasn’t planning on waiting for Kaito to catch up. The usual harmonious teamwork of the hunting duo had crumbled as Zero broke the door by ramming into it with his shoulder, instead of scouting the area with his partner to have exact sight of the vampires whereabouts. The moldy brown door swung open, revealing only four of the six vampires that needed to be executed. Normally, Zero would already be towering over four piles of sand, the immediate effect of such wrath from a gun wielding vampire hunter like him. But when Zero pulled the trigger on his cold Bloody Rose, releasing the bullet that itched to leave the confining space of its chamber- he missed. He pulled the trigger five times, and only two found its destination of piercing tough skin til the creatures withered away like the rest of the decaying building. Zero could only form a blank stare as he scanned the room for the three other bullets that resided in the splintered wood of the building. How could he have missed, they were just standing there? In his confusion, he hardly noticed the other two vampires lunging for him.

He began to aim again, but once he pointed his Bloody Rose towards the slender one, the vampire to his right grabbed ahold of his arm, digging his claws into his forearm. The claws ripped through his skin, creating small little pools of blood from the puncture wounds the Level E produced. His whole body quivered as the shooting pain increased. His skin felt raw as the vampire twisted his nails around, causing the wound to deepen. From the angle the vampire held his arm, he couldn’t position his Bloody Rose in a way to actually shoot any of them, and with his arm trembling from the pain, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep ahold of his Bloody Rose.

He threw his free arm onto the vampire’s neck with full force, wrapping his fingers with the intent of stopping all circulation that traveled to the creature's brain. The sudden move though, caused his other arm to twist, as he was now wincing in pain. The vampire under his grasp began to show signs of weakness as Zero’s relentless hold around his neck continued, but the moment was short lived, as his left arm was unexpectedly caught by the other vampire that was still in the room. The slender Level E pinned him to the wall with such strength, that it forced his Bloody Rose to fall out of his hand, hitting the floor in an echoing thud. Even though he was in pain, he was sure he could kick them off while they weren’t paying attention, but before he could even raise a knee the larger one bawled his hand into a fist and jabbed it into Zero’s stomach. Zero’s body curled over the creature’s fist as the vampire wouldn’t remove his hand and instead began to further dig it into his gut, the pressure now unbearable. He felt his intestines twist as the intense pain increased. His lungs begged for air, as he tried to regain focus on the Level E’s, searching for a weak spot to take the upper-hand in this fight, when he heard a loud clang coming from upstairs. He tilted his head upward, all the muscles in his neck straining to turn in such a manner, when his eyes widened. Two more Level E’s were emerging from the hallway and running down the stairs. It was four against one, and he no longer had a weapon.

Everything about this was wrong.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tension between the two only seems to grow, and now their hunting is paying for it! And I don't recall the manga ever explaining how they are all assigned jobs, so I thought a black envelope would be a cool way. Sorry if they did, and I acidently read over it! I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter and hopefully the fight scene seemed real and descriptive enough! Thank you and as always constructive criticism welcome!!! :D


	12. The Hunt: Separation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to update as fast as I can but then work and stuff get in the way, sorry! Anyways i'm not going to be changing the chapter amount anymore yay! haha, it will stick to being 15 chapters, sorry for constantly changing it before! Also for this chapter the memory will be in Zero's pov and the rest of the chapter will be in kaito's. Anyways hope you enjoy the chapter! :D

**_Zero's Pov_ **

_“You’re just leaving?”_

_It was as if Zero had just been punched in the stomach. He knew this, he knew Kaito being here was temporary. He knew he only came here because his teacher was injured. He was told this. He constantly repeated this to himself, as a reminder to not fall in love with him. He told himself it was a crush, a phase, that Kaito wasn’t his prince, but he never could believe his own lies, he knew how he felt for the teenager. The one statement he was supposed to believe in- he couldn’t._

_“What did you expect Zero, I wasn’t even supposed to train with you and Ichiru. My teacher is better now, so ya, I’m leaving.”_

_“So that’s it?”_

_“I don’t know what more you want Zero?”_

_“You,” was what the smaller boy wanted to answer, but he couldn’t even manage to form coherent words as a small whimper threatened its way out his throat. He quickly swallowed it though, staring at the grass so intently he was burning holes. It was the first time he ever had to experience this, someone he loved leaving. His chest tightened and his hands that rested on his sides were balled into tiny fists to the point they were shaking. Tears wanted to surface but he refused to let them pour._

_“Ichiru needs you,” Zero faintly whispered under his breath._

_“What?”_

_“Ichiru. He doesn’t like you but, he needs you. I try my best to always be there for him, but I can see all the hurt in his eyes. No matter how much he doesn’t like you, he talks to you, yells and rants to you his frustrations and you listen.”_

_“I crossed by Ichiru while getting my things, we talked for a little bit. He’s going to be fine.” Kaito grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, preparing to leave._

_The tiny Silver-haired hunter knew Kaito was important to his brother, and never wanted to interfere, but Ichiru had once told him to stop hiding his feelings. He was scared, but he couldn’t just let him leave._

_“K-Kaito, I-I d-don’t want you to leave. I-I n-nee-”_

_“Zero, my teacher is waiting for me,” he sighed, “if it makes it any easier then why don’t we say see you later?” He rested his hands on Zero’s shoulders, “ Plus, If I left out of your life completely, you’d be fucking helpless without me. So, we’ll see each other again, hopefully when you’re less of a crybaby.”_

_Zero finally looked up from the grass, “and you’ll protect me?” He knew a hunter didn’t need protection, but Zero was still unsure if he could even be one. He was scared to kill, and he didn’t want his heart to become cold like his teacher. He wanted someone by him who gave him fuzzy warm feelings in his tummy, and only Kaito could do that._

_“What?”_

_“You’ll protect me when  I see you again? Promise?”_

_“Whatever, I have to go...”_

_“Promise!?”_

_“Fine Zero, I promise.”_

__________________________________

**Kaito's Pov**

An eery silence crept up on Kaito while the younger hunter walked past him and hurried up the street towards the pink building. They hadn’t uttered a single word to each other since they left the hotel and now, as Kaito walked alone, he really wondered what the hell he was still doing here. It was a question he had been avoiding for some time now, but the very nature of silence gives way for sound. And for Kaito, that fact couldn’t be more apparent as he slowed his pace down and let the resounding noise in his head disperse through his body.

Kaito recounted the times he chided Zero, realizing it had been months since he had admonished him on the difference between vampires and humans. He also knew that Zero had been taking his blood tablets regularly, keeping him far from “blood sucker status.” He had impeccable hunting skills before he became his hunting partner, so it begged the question, did Zero still need “insurance?” Did Kaito even count as insurance lately? Looking at the most recent events, he’d only been causing Zero more stress than anything else.

He knew the young one’s desires of standing by Yuki, and Kaito’s pureblood hate was definitely in the way of Zero’s goal. Even if Kaito didn’t necessarily want to leave, or have Zero running into the hands of a pure blood, if that’s what Zero truly wanted, he wouldn’t stop him, but he would protect him no matter what, even if he wasn’t by his side.

Kaito had yet to enter the building and pull out his Corpse Dagger when heard the gunshots coming from Zero’s gun. When he finally entered the doorway it was not what he expected. Zero was bleeding from his arm while fighting off four blood suckers without his Bloody Rose.

He should have sprinted when he heard the gunshots. Why didn’t he? They had a system, yet he let Zero walk ahead of him, not once thinking to catch up. Day by day they were becoming more and more out of sync. The questions still ringing in his ears. Why was he here? Did Zero even really need him?

He buried those thoughts however, regaining focus on the bashing and clawing of bodies in a fight. His hands reached for the first body that they could clasp, resulting in him throwing a small hungry looking blood sucker that was latching onto Zero from behind. The smaller one was in such a daze from being flung off of shoulders and falling violently onto the concrete that he didn’t notice Kaito gripping his corpse dagger and swinging his arm back just to forcefully stab him. The dagger sank through layers of skin until it reached the pulsating muscle that gave him life, causing the vampire to immediately turn to dust. As quickly as he killed him, another older looking Level-E was already lunging for him, causing their heads to smash against one another violently and body weight to tumble over each other. Kaito’s head was throbbing and his body laid crushed underneath the vamp that pinned him down. He teared his hand away from the vampire ready to stab him when he realized his corpse dagger was missing. He flipped his head to the left, finding the corpse dagger inches away from his hand, but an overwhelming amount of pressure against his already throbbing head, stopped him from reaching it. He whipped his head forward, causing a splitting ache to erupt from the sudden movement and forceful punches he was receiving to the head from the vamp.The Level-E bared his fangs at him ready to bite his neck, but just as those fangs grazed his skin, a gunshot noise broke the Level- E’s concentration. It was enough for Kaito to hook his fingers into the brass knuckles of his Corpse Dagger and stab the bloodsucker in the heart.

He held his breath when the reminisce of the vamp fell all over his clothes and face. He gazed up, quickly brushing himself off to see one more Level-E alive. He ignored his aches in order to leap up and charge towards the vampire. Just as he did he spotted Zero in his peripheral vision aiming his gun in the same direction. A loud blast and thorough slice was heard simultaneously in the pink building as they slayed the final Level-E together.

They both stood there panting, Kaito's legs felt wobbly from keeping his own body weight upright. He tilted his head slightly to count the piles of dust and double checking if all six were killed.

Zero limped over to Kaito holding a hand over his slowly healing wound. He slid his back against the wall, letting his knees bend till he was pile of  mush on the concrete floor. Kaito soon followed groaning every step of the way, enjoying how the cold wall felt against his back. It was a while before either of them spoke since both were busy trying to catch their breaths.

“You shouldn’t have gone on your own like that. Look you’re wounded.” Kaito motioned to his arm arm and leaned in to touch it, but Zero quickly pulled away.

“Now you care? Didn’t hear much of a protest when I marched forward.”

“I thought you could handle it, you’ve hunted on your own before,” he grunted as he readjusted his body, reminding himself just how sore his limbs felt, “what the hell happened in here anyway? I walk in and I see you fist fighting Level-E’s, where the fuck was your Bloody Rose? Are you even thinking clearly lately?”

“I could say the same to you, if it wasn’t for my gunshot, you would have been bitten by that Level-E. We’ve been in trouble before, but not to a point where someone almost got bitten,” his voice sounding accusatory, “ Have you been thinking clearly lately?”

He was right. It was a simple job with six Level-Es, the job shouldn’t have been difficult, yet here they were, two skilled hunters recovering from near death experiences. “We don’t- It’s a mess when we fight together.” He was afraid this would happen from the beginning. He remembered his parents coming home from a hunt exhausted and in pain. Their vampire weapons would always be thrown haphazardly on the table or couch as they spat out bitter remarks to each other, blaming the other for the failure of the mission. He wasn’t old enough to leave the house like Taito, who could escape the yelling and drive off somewhere, so he had the unfortunate time off locking himself up in his room. But Taito did give him permission to use his corpse dagger when ever he wanted, so on those days, he would lock himself up in his room and practice his hunting skills.

“What are you saying?” Zero questioned, his voice raising higher at the end than usual.

Kaito found himself staring at a younger Zero eyes. His violet orbs held a sort of innocence and confusion that made his own eyes sting. “I’m leaving. Once the school year is done, I’ll leave.”

“So that’s it?”

Kaito didn’t want to admit how much it hurt to say it, but the longer he stayed the more he hurt Zero. Back then he teased Ichiru and Zero, and now he compromised a hunting mission. More than that, he disapproved of Zero’s love for Yuki, and he knew how badly Zero wanted to stand by her. Especially since as of late, Kaname had been making questionable decisions and leaving his own mate clueless and alone. The only way Zero could stand beside her, is if there was nothing holding him back, and even though he didn’t like Yuki, he knew she loved him and cared for him deeply and she would take good care of him.

“I don’t know what more you want Zero?”

Those child-like eyes that stared at him were replaced with sour and bitter ones, ones that seemed sullen and distant at the same time. His face became stone cold and lips were pressed into a thin line.

“I guess you never really meant that promise,” he mused.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he shuffled his feet around, putting all his weight on his soles before getting up, leaning on the wall for support. He pushed off, standing straight, stiffening his shoulders in the process and placing his Bloody Rose back in the safety of his coat. Kaito stared at the hunter’s back, realizing just how much he had matured over the years. The young man appeared tired and weary, like if something he had held onto for so long, he finally let go. It left a terrible feeling in the pit of Kaito’s stomach, he wasn’t sure he wanted Zero to let go of whatever it was. He wanted to reach out to him, but he seemed unapproachable, too distant to ever get back.  

It was the second time that day that Kaito had to watch Zero walk away.   

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Kaito has a lot of feels, hopefully through this chapter you all could see what's been going on in his little head. Also little Zero's heart breaking when teenage kaito left, so sad and cute. I felt like it needed to be talked about since someone you care for leaving, tends to leave a huge impression on you. Anyone else missing some Ichiru though? We'll see a little more about his character next chapter! And as always constructive criticism welcome!!! :D


	13. Confronting Himself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried updating sooner yay! just two more chapters! let's go!

**Ichiru's POV**

_He was doing it again. Ichiru had woken up every night for the past three nights to Zero calling out Kaito’s name. Except, it wasn’t cute and adorable like he used to do it. His words sounded desperate, calling out to someone he knew wouldn’t respond. Ichiru pulled Zero into a warm embrace, nuzzling his nose in the crook of his neck and smelling a soft faint smell of coconut shampoo. “It hurts doesn’t it Zero,” he whispered softly so as to not wake him, “when someone who you desperately want to be seen as your equal is somehow always escaping your grasp... you’re just a young kid in his eyes.” He moved his fingers through his brother’s hair gently, “I’m sorry Zero. I know I should sympathize more, but part of me feels a little glad. Now you know the pain I’ve felt for years.”_

_Zero whimpered in his sleep which caused Ichiru to hug him tighter. “I know I shouldn’t feel like this Zero, Can you forgive me?” Zero’s arm snaked around Ichiru’s waist, slightly gripping his pajama shirt as if to say ‘I already have.’ Ichiru placed his own hand on top of his, “I really am sorry. You know, Kaito told me to stop blaming others for my problems.”_

_He recollected the time when again he was resting on the couch during training due to his illness. Zero was excelling in everything like always while he had to sit out, he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand Zero’s guilt ridden eyes and sweet presence or no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t beat him in training. Kaito came inside the cabin to grab a different weapon to practice with when he spotted Ichiru sulking. He remembered Kaito’s words distinctly, “ You hate that people never speak the truth when you enter the room, that they lie to your face and tell you you're strong, well you know I never sugar-coat anything. You are weak, but it’s not because of your illness. If you have to lie down, then you find a way to hunt lying down, you don’t blame someone else.”_

_He remembered how he froze under Kaito’s scrutiny. Was it that obvious? Of course he loved his brother dearly, but his deep seated jealousy wouldn’t let him love Zero fully. He decided to close his eyes and feign sleep as to avoid any confrontation that day._

_The soft breathing of his brother brought him back to his room. “He cared for both of us you know,” he moved his head so he could peck his brother on the cheek, “Don’t worry Zero, he’ll come back for you, i’m sure of it.”_

____________________________________________

**Zero's POV**

  
_“I’m leaving. Once the school year is done, I’ll leave.”_

Zero had his eyes closed while in bed, deciding it was better to be here than in his ethics class right now. He didn’t understand why these words rung in his ears every day. What did he really expect? They were friends, friends drift apart all the time, they don’t stay together forever. He tried to fall asleep, but he just ended up tossing and turning for an hour until he decided to sit up. He knew he had been avoiding going to a specific place for a while now, but he really needed to talk to someone, and since he didn’t have many options since his “friends” (more like near acquaintances), didn’t know about vampires, he thought it best to go visit the only person he could speak with.

_____________________________________________

 

He could feel his mouth beginning to dry as well as a lump gather in his throat all at once. Zero had been avoiding Ichiru since the funeral. He trudged towards his brother’s grave, each step becoming immensely heavier than the first. By the time he reached his brother’s grave, his legs folded underneath him, becoming jelly at the sight of Ichiru’s name on a headstone. The bouquet of flowers he brought with him tumbled from his weak hands onto the soft patch of green grass, “Ichiru, I’m trying but, I don’t know what I’m doing any more...”

_“My perfect brother finally admits he’s lost?”_

He inhaled sharply when the words vibrated through him and coursed through his blood, feeling as natural as blinking. He could sense each pulse of his own blood running wildly inside of him, as if it weren’t his own. That’s when he recognized it, the warmth from the blood that cared for his cold exterior, “Ichiru?”

_“Why are you so surprised? I’ve been here with you the whole time Silly.”_

Zero couldn’t help the tears that left his eyes and stained his pants as he stayed knelt on his brother’s grave. “I’m sorry Ichiru, if I hadn’t... you’d still be here,” his voice sounding frail and wobbly as his tears continued to pour.

_“Stop it Zero,” the voice filling all his senses commanded, “I had already forgiven you that night, the same way you forgave me. The only thing I asked of you then is the same thing I ask of you now, to live on.”_

“I don’t know how to do that. I thought I knew what I wanted, but now... everything's wrong,” Zero admitted.

_“You loved a Pureblood right? A Yuki was it? Is that who you’re talking about?”_

He was surprised at the direction of the conversation, or as to why her name would even be brought up. It had felt like ages since he thought of Yuki. Lately the only name that had infiltrated every corner of his mind was Kaito. It only made sense right, since he was his Ethics teacher, hunting partner, lunch companion, hotel buddy and childhood friend? “It’s different now...”

_“What do you mean?” Ichiru questioned._

He didn’t quite understand either. He wasn’t sure what exactly changed or when it changed, but it did, “I talked to her, and I felt...”

“I felt...”

“Nothing....”

He felt Ichiru’s presence wanting to ask more, but instead Ichiru said nothing and waited until Zero was ready to continue.

“My body doesn’t react to her blood anymore. I don’t crave it to the point of desperation, nor do I want to hold her as intimately as before. I don’t hate her, even if Kaito doesn’t understand that. I still care about her and miss her but,” he paused, half trying to speak through tears and half trying to figure it out his own feelings as he spoke, “it’s protective and brotherly. I can’t feel the same love I once had for her anymore. It doesn’t make any sense.”

_“You mentioned Kaito?” Ichiru inquired, “He’s back?”_

“Yes,” Zero sniffled, calming down enough to grin, “Seven years later and he’s still as much of an asshole as he was then,” he let out a small and dry laugh, amazed at how just thinking of Kaito could bring a smile to his face, even at a cemetery.

_“Oh, that explains it then. You should have just began with Kaito from the start,” he laughed. “You must still love him just as much as then. You did always have a soft spot for him, well, softer,” Ichiru surmised._

“What?” Zero choked out, completely not expecting that response that he had gasped and choked on his own saliva.  

_“Yeah, don’t you remember wanting to run away with him, never taking your eyes off him during training, wishing that the both of you could just hit the road and hunt together, nothing's changed.”_

“Ichiru, I was a kid with dumb fantasies, we’re adults now, I don’t think about him like that anymore.”

_“So what do you think of him now?”_

“Doesn’t matter now, he’s leaving,” he muttered under his breath, “promise breaking asshole....  i’ve been alone for years, one more person leaving isn’t going to affect me. He paused now realizing the gravity of his words, “I’m sorry Ichiru, I didn’t mean-”

_“It’s okay Zero. I- I know how it feels to be alone. I resented you for a long time, because I was always compared to you, by everyone around me. Everything I failed at, you exceeded in, I detested it. I didn’t want to live alone and pitied. I was by default the lesser twin, so I left, where I no one could compare me, where they could accept me for me, where I wouldn’t be lonely in a cold shadow.”_

Zero could feel the all his senses on overdrive as his blood boiled with passion. His brother never revealed any of this to him, instead choosing others to rely in or keeping it to himself. He could not only hear his sincerity, but felt the honesty coursing through his veins.

_“I looked for my self worth from other people, others like Shizuka. I turned my own fear of failure and loneliness into a hatred towards you and blamed you for everything. I blamed you for my feeling of worthlessness. Instead of actually caring for you, I tried to hurt you. And now all these years have passed, I realize you have been feeling just as worthless and alone right?” It was more of a resolute statement than a question. “When we forgave each other and you drank my blood I realized how much worth I had, since I was the only person in the world who could give you the power you needed to feel complete. I realized I never could be alone, because our strength came from each other.” Zero could feel the fire that fueled his blood begin to recede. A cool wave of calmness washed of Zero’s body as each word carried intent in it’s feeling, “Zero, you fear you’re going to fail once more with Kaito just like you did with Yuki am I right? That if you were to express to him that you needed him, he’d see you as worthless, and then you’d be truly alone. Don’t do what I did and let fear rule your every action- live on.”_

Zero sat their in silence, trying to digest the string of words the perfectly flowed from within. He had lost everything, his family, his love, his humanity, and now just as he began to feel hope, he was terrified he would lose that too. It was safer to not question his relationship with Kaito, to leave it how it is, and keep his thoughts of him at a distance. But- Ichiru’s words were spoken with such resolve, such sincerity, that he began to question his own methods of dealing with the older hunter. He couldn’t understand how his brother could be so wise for his young age.

“Ichiru...”

_“Yes....”_

“Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ichiru!! I really like writing his character and writing from his perspective. And I of course love the brotherly love they have, so complex but cute at the same time! Ichiru knows what up with Zero's feelings, hopefully his words give Zero strength! Thank you for reading and constructive criticism welcome! :D


	14. Confronting the Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more after this! Can you believe it! Hopefully you like this chapter! This chapter was the reason I kept increasing the chapter count before, because every time I tried to write it, it never came out right! Hopefully you enjoy it, thank you!

The crisp morning air felt cool against Kaito’s cheeks as he aimlessly walked around campus ready to depart. The school year had gone by slowly, the last few weeks being the most tortuous of them all. It wasn’t like him and Zero weren’t talking, but whenever their eyes met it was always filled with pain and unspoken truths that neither knew how to address. Both had different worries, different assumptions of each other, and neither were going to waste the other’s time with their own troubles.

He walked by the windows of his classroom, peering into to see the naked walls and desolate desks. He had already cleared out his desk the day before, taking his planners, notebooks, folders, some black ball-point pens and what ever else he had accumulated over the year. He was proud that most students were able to pass his class, that was his goal after all, even if they didn’t have the highest grade he wanted them all to be successful. He walked along till he came to the building where they held the graduation ceremony. He was able to strike a light-hearted conversation with Zero and congratulate him, but they both knew something had changed. They couldn’t be friends the same way they were before, Kaito blamed himself, breaking what they had when he didn’t follow Zero into the building. Now everything that was spoken between the two was superficial, just enough small-talk to fill the awkward silences. Enough words shared between the two to make it seem like it was fine, like nothing changed, but they both knew it was facade. And soon, they wouldn’t even have that, as they both were choosing different lives, different routes, where fake pleasantries weren’t even necessary with such large distances between them.  

He lingered near the school garden, resting against a tree, recalling Cross’ rather disappointed face when he bid him goodbye this morning during their meeting. He had gotten used to the Headmaster’s rather “unique” personality, so he expected a dramatic goodbye, but what he received caught him off guard. Cross was rather reserved and melancholy, and Kaito couldn’t help but feel the majority of Cross’s sadness was due do to him leaving Zero as his hunting partner. He assured him though that Zero would be more than fine, pointing out his college and hunting skill as evidence.

He left Cross’ office unsettled, so that was why he was here now, wandering around campus until his feet led him to the same place he found himself on the first day of school.  

He slowly stepped into the stable, letting the dirt underneath his shoes settle while the surrounding dirt piled up, creating a footprint. He hesitantly approached White Lily spreading his arm out to pet her, but she immediately snapped at him and neighed. “So you don’t like me either,” he playfully questioned while resting his elbow against a wooden beam and leaning on his hand. Kaito let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes and allowing the worries that filled his chest to leave his body. He tried focusing on the tranquil surroundings he found himself in but when he picked up a hunter’s scent drifting in the wind, his eyes shot open to find the cause of all his worries standing on the opposite side of the stable.

“It’s just like the first day we met on campus,” Zero stepped in slowly, shoulders a little lower than usual, “except, you’re not threatening to kill me,” Zero half smiled.  

Kaito wasn’t sure whether his smile was genuine, or fake like the ones they’ve been giving each other the passed few weeks. Either way his comment made him smirk,“Well if you really want it to be like the day we first met-” He took out his corpse dagger and playfully threatened Zero, “I should probably question your vampiric status right about now,” he joked.

Zero smiled back, slightly wider than the previous one, deciding to move past the other stables, close enough to drop some hay in White Lily’s stall. She approached him without any hesitation and nuzzled the palm of his hand, leaning comfortably into his touch.

“Hmph, figures, that damn horse didn’t want to get anywhere near me,” Kaito’s voiced playfully as he could have sworn he witnessed White Lily rolling her eyes at him. He rolled his eyes in response, placing his dagger back in his coat as he stood up from the pillar to walk over to the other side of White Lily’s stall.

Zero began stroking her mane, “Well maybe if you came around more often...”

The words from Zero were light-hearted but it reminded them both of their current situation.

“I probably should be going...”

“That’s right, you mentioned working for the HA or something right?”

“Well Toga thinks I should work towards being a council member in the Hunting Association, he’s already recommended me to few of them... But I’ve enjoyed teaching, so maybe working in a University might be nice?”

“You’d make a great professor,” Zero smiled mostly to himself as he stared at White Lily.

The scene was mesmerizing, but Kaito knew nothing could last, “I know you’ll continue to do great in your studies as well Zero. You were the top of my class, and I expect the same for you at your University.” The dull pain that had been residing in his chest for quite some time now began to ache, “I also know that you’ll try your best to be by Yuki’s side,” the ache only seemed to only grow stronger, “I never approved of you two,” it seemed to overpower all his senses, “but I am willing to push that all aside, as long as you prove to me it’s not a mistake,” his body drooped as the pain continued to spread. He wasn’t a foolish man who couldn’t acknowledge Yuki’s love for Zero, as confused as she may be, it was there. She was there all those years that Kaito wasn’t, so she knew Zero better than Kaito did. She was conflicted obviously, but if Zero truly wanted to be by her side Kaito knew that Zero could show Yuki the love she deserved. He knew they could live long almost eternal lives together, never having to worry about the other dying. He knew she could give him children and a life he deserved, so even if he didn’t like purebloods he knew this was the best option for him.

Kaito was so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed that Zero stopped petting White Lily a while ago, standing there almost frozen by Kaito’s words. It was hard enough to bring himself to say such words to the younger man, let alone actually stare at him while doing it. He focused on White Lily’s tail swaying back a forth or her huffs of air that she let out occasionally, reminding himself that it was the right thing to have done. He had broken the mesmerizing spell in order to show support for the younger male’s ambitions. He knew the subject wasn’t a light-hearted topic to be discussed, something that they had began to master a few weeks ago,  but it was the last time he would see him and he wanted him to at least understand that he still cared for him, was still looking out for him and would move out of the way if necessary.  

“I never planned to leave with Yuki.”

“...”

 

Wind blew into the stables, ruffling the hay on the ground, causing the dirt to pick up and ruin the perfectly placed footprints from the two hunters. It was the only thing moving, or conveyed any reminisce of life, as the two hunters stood perfectly still, like statues that were never made to move, never made to question their purpose. White Lily neighed, forcing Kaito out of his complete daze.

Kaito couldn’t fathom the actual significance of his words. Of course Zero was planning to leave with Yuki, he loved her. This was the person who cared for him all those years Kaito couldn't. This was the same person whose blood he lusted for, the same person who he fought for and protected against Kaname’s own wishes. If Zero truly didn’t plan to be by her side, something severely drastic must have had to happen in order for him to decide something as alarming as this. In order for him to decide not to go for someone he thought was special, Zero must have had something else worth fighting for, which meant it was something he couldn’t afford to lose. He was still confused, when did it change? When did he decide Yuki’s love wasn’t enough? Were him and Zero really that dis-attached that he no longer knew the hunter’s aspirations? Did he really know nothing about the hunter he had spent all his time with?

“How come you didn’t tell me?” Where the first words he was able to scramble together once he understood what the younger hunter was saying. Kaito didn’t mean to sound angry, but he was in such disbelief, his couldn’t settle his emotions on one particular feeling, letting them all come out in an accusatory question.

“When?” Zero snapped his head in Kaito’s direction, revealing a glare, “when we almost died on a simple hunting assignment?” Zero scoffed,” Or during the Ball where you stormed out? Maybe during those months where we weren’t even speaking to each other? Or perhaps those first few weeks when all you could think of was killing me,” He retorted.

He was right. It was ignorant of him to expect Zero to tell him anything after the way he’d been treating him since, well, the first day of school to be honest. But Zero’s answer sparked another question from him, “That’s how long you’ve felt this way?” Kaito could sense that Zero’s outburst caused him to say things even he didn’t realize he was saying until Kaito questioned it. He might not have realized when his own desires to stand independently from pure bloods had started, especially when his body was telling him different. Whether his motivations to stray away from that path derived from hunting or something else he wasn’t sure but if this was the new path Zero wanted to take he could support him in this as well.   

Zero turned his head and directed his attention to White Lily again, feeding her food out of his hand, “Doesn’t really matter now... me telling you what I wanted I mean....  We both chose different paths now, so who really cares right?” He sighed,  “Silly promises don’t mean anything...”

It seemed like the last part was supposed to be for Zero himself, like an afterthought whispered for his ears only, but Kaito caught it. He knew exactly which promise Zero was referencing. That very promise was the sole reason he even accepted the job to be Zero’s “insurance” in the first place. It was why he did all the paperwork for their hunts to turn into the HA, so Zero could have proper sleep. It was why he had sex with him that night, wanting to protect Zero forever in his arms, taking all the pain away with each kiss. It was why when he failed as a partner and actually let Zero walk ahead of him and let him be attacked without any backup, that he knew he had to leave. He was no longer of any help up close, breaking that promise the second he let Zero walk ahead of him, so the most he could do was to try and protect him at a distance, if Zero would still let him that is.

“I know. I broke it. But that’s why I am leaving, to make up for it. I won’t put you in any more harm. In our last hunt, my lapse in judgement caused you to be severely injured. Even before that, I added unnecessary stress all those months when we couldn’t even speak to one another. It’s best if I left, I could do more for you if I’m away, if you let me.”

He waited there for Zero to respond.

“Bullshit.”

Kaito completely froze. He hadn’t expect that answer. Clearly Zero thought he was even unfit to protect him from afar, “I understand,” he responded as he turned, ready to leave. Something caught his hand though. Warm fingers pressed against his palm keeping his body firmly in place.

“Your logic makes no sense. If someone needs protection, protecting them up close would be easiest. Leaving doesn’t keep your promise, it breaks it.”

“What are you saying Zero? Do you want me to stay?” He could feel his body tremble,  the grip on his hand tightening being the only thing grounding him at this point. This wasn’t right, he shouldn’t have asked such a selfish question. Yet It was the question he had been wanting to ask him for quite some time now but his mouth would never open up to do so. He knew it was stupid to ask, what could he really do for him if he stayed?

“If I did would you?” Zero asked.

This made no sense. There was no purpose for him to be here anymore. Zero was more than okay, his bloodlust was taken care of, he was an amazing hunter, he didn’t really need a hunting partner. Did Zero even understand that he wasn’t nor ever could be Yuki?

Kaito turned to face him, still holding one another’s hands. He really shouldn’t.

“I promised didn’t I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaito did you just accept to be by Zero's side forever and ever?!?! Zero did you just admit to Kaito that you can't live without him!?!? Ahhh! Love them so much! Want to know what happens after they finally admitted these things to each other, well next chapter is the last one! Hopefully you've been enjoying it so far!


	15. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter, whew finally! I hope you have all enjoyed reading so far! :D Let's go!

**Kaito's POV**

There were a lot of things he should have said or done in the past that he regretted. Kaito drove silently, steadily pressing the gas pedal as he reflected on the way he’s lived out the past few years. He had moved from his original apartment near Cross Academy to another hours away, in the hub of city life. It had been ages since he ever really thought about that high school, remembering just how idiotic he had acted. He should have asked Zero if he healed properly after their terrible mission with those six Level E’s, that hunt now dubbed ‘pink building’ whenever they referenced it. They never repeated a ‘Pink Building’ again, always communicating every step of the way, and choosing to hunt when they weren’t upset with each other, because yes they both had a knack for getting on each others nerves.

It happened a little more often than they thought it would since they moved in together a couple years ago. It wasn’t intentional or planned, it just naturally happened. Zero often found himself crashing at Kaito’s place because it was much closer to his college than his apartment was. It was also convenient since HA events and meetings would cause them to leave the country and driving back to his place from the airport was too out of the way. Of course that meant that whenever he stayed he had to make dinner because he was the skilled one in the kitchen and his skills only seemed to improve once he was hired as a part-time chef for a four star restaurant. Because of all the work Zero had though, Kaito would do his best to help him with homework and take turns preparing meals. His meals were simpler than Zero’s, having no culinary background, but Zero always ate every single one of them without a complaint. Even that one time he accidentally burned the food because he had forgotten he was cooking, too engrossed in the pile of papers on his desk from his law students at the University he was now teaching. He was in the middle of grading when a foul smell reached his nose. He salvaged whatever he could of the dish and decided it was enough to serve, seeing that it was too late to make another. It sounded like they were munching on nails that night but Zero sat down and ate every last bit. The next day though, Kaito wasn’t allowed to set one foot in the kitchen and was forbidden to cook for month.

Kaito pressed the brake slowly on the red light, scrunching his face at the memory of that burned taste in his mouth, it still haunts him. He turned his head to find a sleeping Zero in the seat right next to him. They finally both had a break and a five hour drive was the last thing either of them wanted to do, but Kaito offered to drive so Zero immediately fell asleep in the car. When he stared at him like this he couldn’t comprehend how someone could have such soft features and look so at peace as he did. He wasn’t stressing about the next exam, orders to cook, or out of the city hunts. He was content with where he was and honestly Kaito could stare at him like this for hours. He remembered the first time he caught Zero looking like this, it was right after the first night they had sex.

Zero had been so vulnerable and honest to him that whole night, even while he slept, completely unprotected and naked in his arms. He shifted closer to Kaito that night, wrapping his arm around Kaito’s waist. He felt like Zero was sharing something secretive with him, an intimate moment only to ever happen between just the two of them and yet, Kaito had ignored him the day after. He should have pulled him closer, have woken up the next morning and clung to him, asked him the next day if he felt okay after drinking blood, asked him him about his brother. He thought what he was doing was best, that Zero wouldn’t have wanted him to ask because they weren’t supposed to be this close. He loved Yuki so she should have been the one asking not him. He was afraid though that because he didn’t ask, that that would be the last time he would see Zero sleeping like that.

It wasn’t though.

They never really questioned it when they started sharing a bed, it was the only solution when Kaito threw out his couch to buy a new one, one that would be more comfortable for Zero to sleep on, in the meantime Zero slept with him in his bed. It had never felt uncomfortable or out of place when they shared the same bed, even when Zero tugged on the covers and left Kaito with practically nothing, Kaito reasoned that he got to hot in the night anyways. Plus his nightmares lessened dramatically when Zero started sleeping there. He would wake up from a cold sweat to find Zero already getting up to grab him a glass of water, handing over to him before crawling back underneath the sheets. Kaito’s free hand would be pulled into Zeros, intertwining their fingers together as if he was afraid Kaito would bolt and run out the door. He never did though, he lie there until eyes couldn’t stand staying open any longer. Kaito did his best to return the favor when Zero was having a bad night as well. He would leave small light feathery kisses on his cheek or forehead, ask him questions and listen attentively till the younger fell asleep. It felt quite normal in every way that when small kisses turned into long deeper needier ones, they didn’t question it either. They didn’t question their searching hands over each other’s bodies or the clothes that covered them quickly beginning to vanish. They didn’t question the moans that seeped from each other's lips into the other’s mouth deep into the night.They didn’t even question it the next morning when they woke to find themselves wrapped in each other’s arms, Kaito finding himself brushing the bangs out of Zero’s face. By the time the new couch came in, they had gotten so accustomed to waking up and falling asleep to a warm body beside them, that it was simpler to just call it “their” bed and sleep together.

It was much easier to wake him up for classes that way anyways, encountering an irritated Zero who crinkled his nose and hid his face in protest every morning. He found it endearing, never looking at him with disgust or confusion even if Zero was a vampire. He had come to accept his vampirism just the same way he had accepted Zero’s’ habit of throwing his backpack on the floor. Kaito kept everything neat and orderly, even when they moved Zero’s furniture in, he made sure everything had a place. Zero on the other hand, seemed to think throwing his uniform on the chair or socks close to the hamper was good enough, so needless to say Kaito did all the cleaning.

He parked the car in the driveway and reached for the bag in the backseat, forgetting to unbuckle, causing him to jerk back suddenly. He was glad Zero hadn’t seen that, he didn’t need those violet eyes forming into crescents while he snickered at him.

 

___________________________  


**Zero's POV**

Zero woke up to a nudge from Kaito, “wake up, you look more like a wuss asleep like that.”

“Hmmm?” Still half asleep and rubbing his eyes, Zero couldn’t help but stare at Kaito in absolute fascination. Even after a five hour drive, Kaito’s brown hair was tousled perfectly, and his tired eyes only seemed to add a rugged feel to him.

“You curl yourself up like that, you end up looking like a baby” he laughed. Sometimes Zero was too tired for Kaito’s teasing, and sometimes Kaito looked really handsome. “If you sleep like a baby that means-” Zero cut him off with a kiss to the lips. He tasted like coffee and chocolate, understandably so since Zero was finding his kiss addictive. He pulled away to see a slightly surprised but rather pleased Kaito.

”And you look more like an asshole talking like that,” Zero finally teased back. That earned a smile and small chuckle from Kaito as he stepped out of the car, stretching his arms and back before walking. Zero soon followed, slamming the car door behind him. He groaned already anticipating Cross’ obnoxious hellos and yelling. Why he insisted that everyone come for his birthday and still call it a surprise party was beyond him. Birthdays for him were a still a touchy subject since his brother’s death, but him and Kaito would go visit Ichiru on his birthday every year; they did the same for Taito’s.

They weren’t sure why Cross picked a random location for his birthday celebration but either way, they walked along the dirt path together side by side, Kaito with the birthday gift in one hand, and holding Zero’s in the other. Casual public displays of affection like this weren’t really common between the two, but neither objected to it when the other initiated it. Zero would never admit how much he enjoyed holding his hand though, his younger childhood self would probably be dying right about now, which sent a smile to his face.

It still amazed him some days that they could be here, walking down a path together, knowing that at one point years ago Kaito was ready to leave him. It took all the courage in the world, and that courage only attainable because of Ichiru, that he was able to tell Kaito that he wanted him to stay when he was ready to leave. He remembered holding the man’s hand in the stable, recalling just how right it felt, unconsciously making him grip Kaito’s hand tighter at the moment.

He didn’t care whether anyone there would be alarmed by the fact that they held hands, or lived together, or yes, even loved each other, he had come to terms with it a long time ago. Neither of them had been too experienced when it came to love, Zero having only loved one other person before, and Kaito not having loved anyone romantically. They didn’t confess their love at a candlelit dinner with romantic music playing in the background, nor during lust filled nights where they found keeping their hands off of each other to be a rather difficult task. And to the disappointment of his childhood self, no it wasn’t like drama filled romantic movies where it was pouring rain outside and they confessed their love at the climax of the story. No, It was just something that was spoken matter of factly during one of their hunts. Kaito was taking on more Level-E’s by himself than he should have because Zero had injured himself in their previous hunt. He had underestimated their strength and was almost killed, forcing Zero to protect him. Zero was more than furious that day, and could hardly look in Kaito’s direction without wanting to yell about how careless he had been. Kaito assured him that he had done so because he didn’t want Zero to aggravate his injury and just wanted to help, but Zero who was fuming, arguing that Kaito was no help to him dead. Kaito told him he was fine and that Zero should have never intervened but Zero replied that he couldn’t just sit there while he watched someone he loved die. Once the words settled in though, he walked off, still unable to contain his anger and successfully covering his reddening cheeks. Later that night Kaito came up to him close in bed and softly told him that was the same reason he fought those level e’s by himself, because he couldn’t stand to watch someone he loved die either.

They finally made it to a clearing where they saw Toga, Cross, Yuki, Yori and Takuma, already eating food and laughing together. They hadn’t really seen anyone in years, too drowned in their own work to really see anyone, plus they weren’t the types to seek out reunions all the time either. Sure they kept tabs on Cross and Toga, occasionally calling them up, making sure they stayed safe, but nothing definite, nothing that took up too much time. They walked over to where the rest of the guests were, noticing the turning heads and slight widening of eyes at the sight of two hunters holding hands.

Yes they knew the sight might have thrown everyone off. Two cold and very powerful hunters showing how much they cared for one another by intertwining their fingers together into a bond Zero felt more powerful than anything a pureblood could ever produce. Neither of them shouted and preached their relationship, so most might not have even known that they were together. But no matter, he found nothing wrong with how they acted, as long as he had him by his side he didn’t care, after all, hunters definitely  **could** love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! I love this couple so much, I just think they're adorable! Hopefully you all had as much fun reading it as I did writing it! Thanks for sticking around so long and putting up with random chapter counts and long times when I didn't upload. I'll probably write something later as like a quick one-shot about them because I like them a lot! Anyways thank you again! really appreciate everyone who took some time out of their day to read, and of course Constructive Criticism welcome! <3 <3 <3


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